Two Diplomats Fail to Win Support as IAEA Chief

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Two diplomats fail to win support as IAEA chief

Web posted at: 3/28/2009 7:27:23
Source ::: AP
VIENNA: Two men with differing visions for the International Atomic Energy Agency failed yesterday to win enough support to become its new chief, splitting the vote among the agency’s developed and developing countries. A meeting of the agency’s 35-nation board was adjourned prematurely after neither Yukiya Amano of Japan nor Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa got the required two-thirds majority needed for victory.

With an inconclusive initial attempt to find a successor for IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, board chairwoman Taous Feroukhi of Algeria was expected on Monday to invite member nations to submit— or resubmit—candidates within the next four weeks before a new meeting. That meant that both Amano and Minty could try again — something the South African appeared to rule out in comments after the end of the secret balloting.

But a Western diplomat familiar with Amano’s intentions said the 61-year old Japanese had already said he would run in any new race if this week’s meeting failed to settle the issue of ElBaradei’s successor. He asked for anonymity because his information was confidential.

Amano, generally endorsed by Western and like-minded nations that represent a majority on the board, led throughout six rounds of voting over two days, in one instance falling short of the threshold by only a single vote. But he failed to win support with developing nations, most of whom endorsed Minty. Minty, 69, expressed disappointment. In comments tinged with reproach, he suggested that Western nations had missed an opportunity to bridge differences with developing countries by failing to endorse his candidacy.

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