ASSEMBLY ELECTS 17 STATES TO FILL VACANCIES IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL; ONE SEAT REMAINS TO BE FILLED FROM AMONG ASIAN GROUP
Press Release
GA/8999
ASSEMBLY ELECTS 17 STATES TO FILL VACANCIES IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL; ONE SEAT REMAINS TO BE FILLED FROM AMONG ASIAN GROUP
19951116 The General Assembly this morning elected the following 17 States to fill vacancies in the 54-member Economic and Social Council: Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Gabon, Guyana, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia and United Kingdom. Those new members will serve three-year terms, beginning on 1 January 1996. One seat remains to be filled from among the Asian Group of States.Fourteen of the members were elected on the first ballot, while Guyana, Lebanon and Nicaragua were elected on the second ballot. Prior to the second ballot, Bolivia withdrew its candidacy.
The election was held to fill seats being vacated at the end of the current year by Bahamas, Bhutan, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, Gabon, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Zaire. States are eligible for immediate re-election.
The 18 members elected included four from the African States; four from Asian States; three from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from Western European and Other States. Regional nominations included eight from the Asian Group, but prior to the election, Syria withdrew its candidacy, bringing the number to seven. In addition, there were four nominations from among the Eastern European States and five nominations from the Latin American Group of States. The Western European and other Group of States had reached agreement on its candidates.
The General Assembly will meet again at 3:30 p.m. today to elected one member from the Asian Group of States to the Economic and Social Council.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to elect 18 members of the Economic and Social Council, which is composed of 54 Member States whose representatives are elected for a term of three years. The seats are being vacated by Bahamas, Bhutan, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, Gabon, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Zaire, whose terms of office expire on 31 December. In accordance with the rules of procedure, a retiring member is eligible for immediate re-election; the election is to be held by secret ballot with no nominations, and a two-thirds majority is required for election.
The 54 members of the Council are elected according to the following geographical pattern: 14 members from African States; 11 from Asian States; 10 from Latin American and Caribbean States; 13 from Western European and Other States; and six from Eastern European States.
Given the geographical distribution of the seats being vacated, the elections will be according to the following pattern: four from the African States; four from Asian States; three from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from Western European and Other States.
Other members of the Council are: Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
K.J. JELE (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the African Group of States, stated that it had endorsed the candidatures of the Central African Republic, Gabon, Togo and Tunisia.
HAJI AMPAL JEMAT (Brunei Darussalem), on behalf of the Asian Group, said that Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Nepal and Syria had presented their candidatures for election to the Economic and Social Council.
PELLUMB KULLA (Albania), speaking on behalf of the Eastern European Group, said the following were candidates for the three vacancies that Group was to fill: Czech Republic, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine. The Group had not been in a position to endorse any of those candidates.
EDGAR CAMACHO-OMISTE (Bolivia), on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean Group, said five countries had presented their candidatures: Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana and Nicaragua.
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/8999 62nd Meeting (AM) 16 November 1995
HANS JACOB BIORN LIAN (Norway), speaking on behalf of the Western European and Other States, said there were four candidates for their four vacancies: Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
KHALIL ABOU HADID (Syria), recalling that his country had been a candidate, said that in order to preserve the spirit of unity in the Asian Group, Syria would withdraw its candidacy in favour of Lebanon. It was hoped that all countries which had supported Syria would take account of that withdrawal and would support brotherly Lebanon.
Economic and Social Council Elections
The results of the first round of voting were as follows:
African States Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 175 Required majority: 117
Number of Votes Obtained: Tunisia: 173 Gabon: 172 Togo: 170 Central African Republic: 161 Nigeria: 2 Guinea-Bissau: 1 Zaire: 1
Asian States Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 175 Required majority: 117
General Assembly Plenary - 4 - Press Release GA/8999 62nd Meeting (AM) 16 November 1995
Number of Votes Obtained: China: 137 Bangladesh 121 Lebanon: 112 Jordan: 88 Iran: 79 Cambodia: 75 Nepal: 59 Syria: 2 Viet Nam: 2 Kuwait: 1 Republic of Korea: 1 Sri Lanka: 1
Eastern European States Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 174 Required majority: 116
Number of Votes Obtained: Russian Federation: 147 Czech Republic: 145 Romania: 118 Ukraine: 96 Albania: 1 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 1
Latin American and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 175 Required majority: 117
General Assembly Plenary - 5 - Press Release GA/8999 62nd Meeting (AM) 16 November 1995
Number of Votes Obtained: Argentina: 124 Guyana: 108 Nicaragua: 103 Ecuador: 83 Bolivia: 72 Panama: 3 Cuba: 2 Mexico: 2 Chile: 1 Guatemala: 1 Peru: 1 Uruguay: 1
Western European and Other States Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 3 Number of Members voting: 172 Required majority: 115
Number of Votes Obtained: Canada: 168 Finland: 166 Sweden: 165 United Kingdom: 162 Norway: 3 Denmark: 2
Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, the following States were declared members of the Economic and Social Council for three-year terms beginning 1 January 1996: Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Gabon, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia and United Kingdom.
Second Ballot
Following the first ballot, two seats remained to be filled from the Asian States and two seats remained to be filled from the Latin American and Caribbean States.
General Assembly Plenary - 6 - Press Release GA/8999 62nd Meeting (AM) 16 November 1995
Prior to the second ballot, Bolivia withdrew its candidacy.
The results of the second round of voting were as follows:
Asian States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 172 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 172 Required majority: 115
Number of Votes Obtained: Cambodia: 66 Iran: 60 Jordan: 85 Lebanon: 123
Latin America and Caribbean States Number of ballot papers: 173 Number of invalid ballots: 1 Number of valid ballots: 172 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 171 Required majority: 114
Number of Votes Obtained: Ecuador: 75 Guyana: 131 Nicaragua: 119 Bolivia: 1
Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, the following States were declared members of the Economic and Social Council for three-year terms beginning 1 January 1996: Guyana, Lebanon and Nicaragua.
There still remained one seat to be filled from among the Asian Group of States. It was decided to hold that election this at 3:30 p.m. today.
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