Jordan recalls envoy to Qatar over UN post

AMMAN, Oct 4: Jordan recalled its ambassador in Doha today in a show of displeasure at Qatar's failure to support the kingdom's own candidate to succeed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, officials said.

They said Qatar's backing of South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon instead of Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid AL-Hussein at an informal Security Council poll broke an Arab accord to support Jordan's widely respected envoy, the only Muslim in the race.

In yesterday's straw poll, Ban received 14 positive votes, including the council's five permanent members with veto rights -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia. Only one of the 10 non-permanent members abstained.

Ban, 62, will probably be formally named on October 9 in an official vote by the 15-member Security Council after winning four straw polls, including a crucial one yesterday.

After the council's recommendation, the 192-member UN General Assembly is expected to endorse Ban as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations since 1946 to replace Annan of Ghana, who ends 10 years in office on December 31.

REUTERS

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