FOURTEEN VACANCIES ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FILLED IN TWO ROUNDS OF ASSEMBLY BALLOTS
Press Release
GA/9340
FOURTEEN VACANCIES ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FILLED IN TWO ROUNDS OF ASSEMBLY BALLOTS
19971030 Members to Serve Three-Year Terms; Further Voting Planned For Four Remaining Seats, to Complete Elections to 54-Nation BodyIn two rounds of balloting this morning, the General Assembly elected 14 members to fill 18 vacancies on the Economic and Social Council. They will begin their three-year terms on 1 January 1998.
During the first round of voting, Algeria, Belgium, Comoros, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Viet Nam were elected as new members. Belarus, Colombia and the United States were re- elected. Brazil was re-elected in the second round.
The elections were for seats being vacated by members from the following regional groups: five from the African States; four from Asian States; two from Eastern European States; three from Latin American and Caribbean States; and four from the Western European and Other States.
The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. to fill the remaining four vacancies -- two from the Asian States, one from the Eastern European States and one from the Latin American and Caribbean States.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to fill 18 vacancies on the 54- member Economic and Social Council. A third of the members retire each year. Candidates to fill their seats are elected by secret ballot to three-year terms. A two-thirds majority of votes cast is required for election.
The elections today are for seats being vacated on 31 December next by Australia, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and the United States.
Members of the Council are elected according to the following pattern of geographic distribution: 14 from among the African States; 11 from Asian States; six from Eastern European States; 10 from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 13 from Western European and Other States. To maintain that distribution, vacated seats will be filled by members of the same regional group.
Member States who remain on the Council are Argentina, Bangladesh, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, El Salvador, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Guyana, Iceland, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom and Zambia.
The results of the first round of voting were as follows:
African States (5 vacancies)
Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 2 Number of Members voting: 173 Required majority: 116
Number of votes obtained:
Algeria 171 Sierra Leone 167 Comoros 166 Lesotho 163 Mauritius 163 Benin 2 Cameroon 1 Liberia 1
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9340 40th Meeting (AM) 30 October 1997
Niger 1 Nigeria 1 Sudan 1
Asian States (4 vacancies)
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:
Viet Nam 137 Pakistan 126 India 111 Malaysia 104 Oman 104 Qatar 85 Yemen 4 Bahrain 2 Indonesia 1 Uzbekistan 1
Eastern European States (2 vacancies)
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:
Belarus 120 Poland 109 Georgia 107 Ukraine 5 Bulgaria 1
Latin American and Caribbean States (3 vacancies)
Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0
General Assembly Plenary - 4 - Press Release GA/9340 40th Meeting (AM) 30 October 1997
Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 174 Required majority: 116
Number of votes obtained:
Colombia 118 Brazil 115 Peru 103 Guatemala 96 Saint Lucia 61 Panama 3 Venezuela 2 Bolivia 1 Honduras 1
Western European and Other States (4 vacancies)
Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175 Abstentions: 6 Number of Members voting: 169 Required majority: 113
Number of votes obtained:
Belgium 164 Italy 164 New Zealand 162 United States 157 Greece 1 Netherlands 1
Having obtained the two-thirds majority required, Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Colombia, Comoros, Italy, Lesotho, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, United States and Viet Nam were elected.
The results of the second round of voting were as follows:
Asian States (remaining two vacancies)
Number of ballot papers: 175 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 175
General Assembly Plenary - 5 - Press Release GA/9340 40th Meeting (AM) 30 October 1997
Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 175 Required majority: 117
Number of votes obtained:
India 111 Malaysia 94 Oman 83 Qatar 56
Eastern European States (remaining vacancy)
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:
Poland 98 Georgia 74
Latin American and Caribbean States (remaining two vacancies)
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:
Brazil 119 Peru 99 Guatemala 78 Saint Lucia 42
Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, Brazil was elected to the Council. Since vacancies on the Council remain in the Asian, Eastern European and Latin American and Caribbean groups, further balloting will take place when the Assembly meets again this afternoon.
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