The calendar is still far from being arrested

In India, in Elavancherry, in the State of Kerala, all the population is mobilized, according to the local press. She looked forward to know the name of the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Indeed, one of the children of the country, Shashi Tharoor, writer and current Assistant for the communication of the Organization, ran the estate of the Ghanaian Kofi Annan, who will leave Office on 31 December. But it is not the only one to apply... End of July, the 15 members of the Security Council, which, according to the United Nations Charter, must "recommend" a candidate for the 192 countries of the General Assembly for his election by a simple majority, organized a white vote. A survey whose results, which were of course remain confidential, were immediately found in the newspapers.

The current Minister of Foreign Affairs of the South, Ban Ki-moon Korea, came to head 12 members "encouraging" to continue his campaign, a "discouraging" and two emitting no opinion struck by Shashi Tharoor (10 for, 2 against and 3 no opinion). Later followed the Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and the Sri Lankan Jayantha Dhanapala, a diplomat currently Special Advisor to the President Mahinda Rajapakse. All have received the support of their respective Governments. All campaign including in each of the capitals of the countries members of the Security Council. However, as noted a familiar diplomat of the discussions at the United Nations, "to the extreme limit of the procedure, it is not excluded that other names out of the wood". In principle, a rule not written rotation between continents, the position should return this time to Asia, which, since 1971 and the end of the second mandate of the Myanmar U Thant, did not have this function.

And why not a woman

The Americans, but not only them, are raised against the principle of regional rotation. The United Nations, considers one of its officials "should follow the example of the World Trade Organization with the election of Pascal Lamy in his head." "That the best person win". However, the process remains opaque. "There is even no selection Committee", said a diplomat.

Many argue also for the arrival of a woman at the top. A "European" candidate as the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga could therefore have its chances. Except that any candidate must obtain the support of the United States, of the Russia, China, Britain and the France, since each country can veto "" to a decision in the Security Council. However, it is unlikely that Moscow accept a candidate of a Baltic Republic or that Beijing abandons the principle of rotation to Asia. To the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific group already ensured the support of Africa to be the next Secretary General a candidate of this region. Other limits, not written it also, the five permanent members of the Security Council exclude to present one of their nationals.

The calendar is still far from being arrested. "The goal is to reach an agreement late September - early October," says the Security Council. One thing is certain, the selection is not finalized on 19 September, Assembly will open the traditional