Afghan Ghani to join race for top UN post

SINGAPORE, Sep 18: Former Afghan finance minister Ashraf Ghani will make a late entry into the race to succeed Kofi Annan as UN secretary-general, taking the number of formally declared candidates to seven, the Financial Times said today.

The paper said Ghani, 57, would declare his candidacy later today during a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who is visiting the United States.

''I hope to win, through ideas,'' Ghani told the daily. ''In the public debate so far, I have yet to see a clear articulation of vision, an analysis of the central issues and a programme for change.'' An informal straw poll by the 15 U N Security Council members last week showed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon pulling ahead of four other contenders to replace Annan, whose term ends on December 31.

In second place was Shashi Tharoor of India, a novelist and the U N undersecretary-general for public information, while Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai was third.

Jordan's popular U N ambassador, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, ranked fourth and Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, a former U N undersecretary-general for disarmament, was fifth.

U N tradition deems it is Asia's turn for the post. Jordan is technically considered a member of the Asian group at the United Nations.

Despite that, the Baltic states last week proposed Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga as a candidate for the job.

Kabul-born Ghani returned to Afghanistan in October 2001 after an absence of 24 years, interrupting a stellar career at the World Bank as a U N special adviser, the Financial Times said.

From June 2002 to December 2004 he served as finance minister, securing pledges of billion from international donors, and subsequently left the government to become chancellor of Kabul University.

REUTERS