GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS FIVE STATES TO FILL NON-PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL SEATS
Press Release
GA/9329
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS FIVE STATES TO FILL NON-PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL SEATS
19971014 Two-Year Terms of Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia, Slovenia Will Begin 1 January 1998The General Assembly this morning elected Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia and Slovenia as members of the Security Council for two-year terms. They will fill five non-permanent seats to be vacated by Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Poland and the Republic of Korea.
The new non-permanent members, who were elected in one round of voting, will assume their Council seats on 1 January 1998. The five other non- permanent Council members -- Costa Rica, Japan, Kenya, Portugal and Sweden -- will serve for another year.
Also this morning, the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), announced that Dominica had made the necessary payments to reduce its arrears below the point that would have resulted in the suspension of its voting rights.
The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m., Wednesday, 15 October, to take up the report on the financing of the United Nations logistics base in Brindisi, Italy, and management of assets.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council to fill seats being vacated on 31 December by Chile, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Poland and the Republic of Korea. Those five States were not eligible for immediate re-election.
The new non-permanent members will serve two-year terms, beginning on 1 January 1998, and will be elected as follows: three from African and Asian States; one from Latin American and Caribbean States; and one from Eastern European States. To be elected, candidates must receive a two-thirds majority of the Member States present and voting.
Costa Rica, Japan, Kenya, Portugal and Sweden will serve for another year as non-permanent members. The five permanent members of the Council are China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States.
Statement by Assembly President
HENNADIY UDOVENKO (Ukraine) said, in accordance with established practice, there was an understanding that of the three States to be elected from African and Asian States, two should be from Africa and one from Asia.
He said he had been informed by the Chairmen of the regional groups that Bahrain, Gabon and Gambia were candidates for the three vacancies from among the African and Asian States. Brazil was the only candidate to fill the vacancy from the Latin American and Caribbean States. The two candidates to fill the vacancy for the Eastern European States were The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia.
Results of Voting
The results of the first round of balloting were as follows:
African and Asian States
Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 174 Required majority: 116
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9329 30th Meeting (AM) 14 October 1997
Number of votes obtained:
Bahrain 172 Gabon 171 Gambia 169 Zambia 1
Eastern European States
Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 4 Number of Members voting: 170 Required majority: 114
Number of votes obtained:
Slovenia 140 former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 30
Latin American and Caribbean States
Number of ballot papers: 174 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 174 Abstentions: 6 Number of Members voting: 168 Required majority: 112
Number of votes obtained:
Brazil 167 Argentina 1
Having obtained the necessary two-thirds majority, Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia and Slovenia were elected to fill the five non-permanent Council seats.
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