09-29-2006, 03:44 AM
<b>South Korea's Ban keeps lead in U.N. leader race </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The 15 Security Council ambassadors voted among seven candidates vying for the job to replace U.N. Secretary-General    Kofi Annan, who leaves office on December 31. The vote was unofficial but gives an indication of future results.
Council members marked ballots to "encourage, discourage or express no opinion" as in the previous two informal polls. Each member could vote for more than one candidate.
<b>Ban got 13 encouragements, one discourage and one no opinion.</b> In the last vote on September 13, he received 14 encouragements and one no opinion.
<b>Tharoor dropped to eight encouragements on Thursday from 10 earlier this month, with three negatives and two no opinions</b>. He was followed by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the only non-Asian and woman in the race, who received seven encouragements, six discouragements and two no opinions.
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Over for Tharoor.
Council members marked ballots to "encourage, discourage or express no opinion" as in the previous two informal polls. Each member could vote for more than one candidate.
<b>Ban got 13 encouragements, one discourage and one no opinion.</b> In the last vote on September 13, he received 14 encouragements and one no opinion.
<b>Tharoor dropped to eight encouragements on Thursday from 10 earlier this month, with three negatives and two no opinions</b>. He was followed by Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the only non-Asian and woman in the race, who received seven encouragements, six discouragements and two no opinions.
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Over for Tharoor.