Portuguese former PM Guterres poised to be next UN chief
6 Oct 2016 11:24 PM GMT
Portugal’s former premier Antonio Guterres is set to become the next UN Secretary- General after the Security Council in the sixth straw poll conducted on Wednesday declared him to be the unanimous choice.
Russia’s envoy to the UN and President of the Council for October Vitaly Churkin announced that after the sixth straw poll, Guterres has emerged as the “clear favourite” even as hopes for a woman to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the world’s top diplomat suffered a major setback.
“Today after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres,” Churkin told reporters. Guterres, 67, received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes.
The 15-nation Council will go for a formal vote on Thursday, a mere formality, where Guterres’s name for
the next Secretary-General will be decided upon by acclamation.
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