Jordanian Announces Candidacy For U.N. Secretary-General Post
Josephine Roque - All Headline News Staff Writer New York, NY (AHN) - Jordan's U.N. Ambassador Prince Zeid al Hussein has expressed his bid to succeed Kofi Annan as the next U.N. secretary-general. He is the fifth candidate for the post and the first Muslim to apply. Jordan formally sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council submitting the candidacy of Zeid. Zeid is a well-respected diplomat, former U.N. peacekeeper and a cousin of King Abdullah II. Zeid told the AP, "We believe there is considerable scope to be given by the Security Council and the General Assembly to a Muslim candidate who is familiar with the U.N. but not of the U.N.." He cited that considering a Muslim candidate could be vital considering recent events that involve the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian violence in Gaza, and the Iran nuclear gridlock. Annan's second five-year term will finish on Dec. 31. Most diplomats agree that the next secretary-general should come from Asia, as part of the practice to switch between regions in conferring the role. Other candidates hoping to succeed Annan are South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, U.N. Undersecretary-General for Public Affairs Shashi Tharoor from India, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, and former U.N. disarmament chief Jayantha Dhanapala, a Sri Lankan.
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