27 Mar (NucNet): The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is again is inviting governments to nominate candidates for the post of director-general.
The move was announced today by the board’s chair, Algerian ambassador to the IAEA Taous Feroukhi, and follows voting yesterday in which neither of the two candidates received the necessary two-thirds majority of votes during successive rounds of secret balloting.
The two candidates were Yukiya Amano of Japan and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa. Ms Ferouki said in the first ballot Mr Amano had received 23 votes and Mr Minty had received 12 votes. In a second ballot on Mr Amano only, he received 22 votes in favour with one abstention, again falling short of the two-thirds majority. In a ballot on Mr Minty, he received 15 votes with one abstention.
Ms Feroukhi said she will circulate a note on Monday inviting member state governments to nominate candidates on 30 March 2009, with nominations to be submitted by the end of April 2009. Both Mr Amano and Mr Minty can be re-nominated.
IAEA director-general Mohamed ElBaradei’s term of office expires on 30 November 2009. He has served as director-general since 1997 and has said he is not available for a fourth term of office.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
IAEA Confirms Nominations For Director-General (News in Brief No. 1, 5 January 2009)
IAEA Board Meets To Choose Next Director-General (News in Brief No. 35, 26 March 2009)
