US had assessed every candidate for UN Sec Gen post before voting

New Delhi, Oct 6 (UNI) The United States had done a proper assessment of every candidate bidding for the UN Secretary General's post before the October two straw poll which put India's candidate Shashi Tharoor behind South Korea's Ban Ki Moon.

''The United States went through a very judicious process. The voting is a secret process. A consensus was achieved among the five Permanent Members and the consensus was put forward,'' US Ambassador David Mulford told reporters.

He, however, evaded a direct reply whether the US had vetoed Shashi Tharoor to succeed Kofi Annan as the next Secretary General of the world body this year-end.

UNI RB VD KN1902