Korean wins a final poll for U.N. chief

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NEW YORK -- The Security Council is poised to select South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next U.N. secretary-general as soon as Monday, after his fourth consecutive strong showing in a straw poll yesterday.

Fourteen council members yesterday endorsed his candidacy in principle, while one unnamed nation offered "no opinion."

The vote is likely to take place Monday, council diplomats said yesterday.

"We have a lot of respect for Foreign Minister Ban," said U.S. Ambassador John R. Bolton after yesterday afternoon's poll. "We know him well from his service in Washington and think very highly of him professionally and personally."

"I can say the United States is very pleased with the outcome of the vote," Mr. Bolton added.

The poll yesterday was the fifth in the council and the first to reveal which of the five permanent members cast "discourage" votes -- a situation that could turn into a veto.

After the poll, U.N. communications chief Shashi Tharoor, who placed second, dropped out of the race.

"It is clear that he will be our next secretary-general," Mr. Tharoor told reporters. "It is a great honor, and I wish Mr. Ban every success in that task."

Mr. Tharoor received 10 "encourage" votes yesterday, but one of the three negative votes was cast by a permanent member.

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga placed third with five encouragements, but two of the six negative votes were cast by permanent members -- most probably China and Russia.