GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS ARGENTINA, CANADA, MALAYSIA, NAMIBIA, NETHERLANDS TO SERVE TWO-YEAR TERMS ON SECURITY COUNCIL, EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 1999
Press Release
GA/9474
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS ARGENTINA, CANADA, MALAYSIA, NAMIBIA, NETHERLANDS TO SERVE TWO-YEAR TERMS ON SECURITY COUNCIL, EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 1999
19981008 The General Assembly this morning elected Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia and the Netherlands to two-year terms on the Security Council, effective 1 January 1999. Those results were determined during one round of balloting, with the five Member States obtaining the required two-thirds majority.Today's elections were held to fill non-permanent seats being vacated on 31 December by Costa Rica, Japan, Kenya, Portugal and Sweden, which were not eligible for immediate re-election. The action today to fill those five seats was based on the following geographic distribution: two from African and Asian States; one from Latin American and Caribbean States; and two from Western European and Other States.
The five other non-permanent Security Council members which will serve for another year, until 31 December 1999, are Bahrain, Brazil, Gabon, Gambia, and Slovenia.
The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 9 October, when it will open discussion on the causes of conflict and the promotion of sustainable peace and development in Africa.
Statements
General Assembly President DIDIER OPERTTI (Uruguay), speaking prior to balloting, said, in accord with established practice, of the two States to be elected from African and Asian States, one should be from Africa and one from Asia.
He said he had been informed that there were two endorsed candidates for the two vacancies from among the African and Asian States -- Malaysia and Namibia. The one endorsed candidate to fill the one vacancy for the Latin American and Caribbean States was Argentina. There were three candidates to fill the two vacancies for the Western European and other States, namely, Canada, Greece and the Netherlands.
He informed the Assembly that in accordance with the rules of procedure, the election would be held by secret ballot and there would be no nominations. The candidates receiving the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of those present and voting would be declared elected.
MOSES M. DLAMINI (Swaziland), also speaking before balloting, said that his remarks were a prayer on behalf of his delegation for God to give the new members of the Security Council wisdom as they began the laborious task before them. They should be vigilant when discharging their duties in the Council.
The Council, however, was by no means supreme to the Assembly, he said. It was supposed to be accountable to the Assembly and transparent in its activities, including to the non-members. The debate in the Council should be public. To the dismay of his delegation, many meetings of the Council were conducted behind "an iron curtain" in what was loosely entitled "closed informal consultations". Those were matters of significance, and everybody was entitled to having their views known. Normally, the closed consultations should be followed by open meetings, where everybody could participate. The practice of informal consultations should come to an end. Everybody should exercise their right to vote. The Council should heed to the Assembly, which was the supreme body.
The results of the first round of balloting to elect five non-permanent members of the Security Council for a two-year term beginning on 1 January 1999 were as follows:
African and Asian States
Number of ballot papers: 176 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 176 Abstentions: 0 Number of Members voting: 176 Required majority: 118
Number of Votes Obtained:
Malaysia: 174 Namibia: 167 Philippines: 1 Senegal: 1 Zimbabwe 1
General Assembly Plenary - 3 - Press Release GA/9474 33rd Meeting (AM) 8 October 1998
Latin American and Caribbean States
Number of ballot papers: 176 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 176 Abstentions: 4 Number of Members voting: 172 Required majority: 115
Number of Votes Obtained:
Argentina: 171 Chile: 1
Western European and Other States
Number of ballot papers: 176 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 176 Abstentions: 1 Number of Members voting: 175 Required majority: 117
Number of Votes Obtained:
Canada: 131 Greece: 87 Netherlands: 122
Having obtained the two-thirds majority required, Argentina, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia and the Netherlands were elected as members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 1999.
The PRESIDENT then informed the Assembly that agenda item 11, the report of the Security Council, would be taken up on Wednesday, 21 October, instead of on Monday, 12 October.
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