Panama elected to UN Council for Latam seat

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 7 (Reuters) Panama was elected today to an open U N Security Council seat as a compromise choice after weeks of a divisive battle between Venezuela and U S -backed Guatemala.

To applause and cheers, Panama received 164 votes, more than the two-thirds needed in the 192-member U N General Assembly. Venezuela got 11 votes, Guatemala 4, and Barbados 1. A number of countries abstained.

The outcome of today's formal vote was expected after Venezuela and Guatemala withdrew their candidacies last week in favor of Panama, which was then endorsed by the 35-nation Latin American and Caribbean group.

Venezuela's failure to win the seat opening up in January on the most powerful U N body was a setback for President Hugo Chavez, who saw the council reinforcing his efforts to be a leading anti-U S voice on the world stage.

The Venezuelan leader portrayed the contest as a battle against efforts by U S President George W Bush to dominate the United Nations.

Venezuela's U N Ambassador Francisco Javier Arias Cardenas told the assembly that members ''clearly witnessed interventions,'' a reference to U S lobbying for Guatemala.

Arias Cardenas said big countries have learned that they cannot impose their will. He said U S Ambassador John Bolton believed the United States had ''achieved its objectives when developing countries such as ours did not get a seat on the Security Council.'' BEAR HUG ''Some embraces end up by killing you such as a bear hug,'' Arias Cardenas said, referring to U S support for Guatemala. But he said Panama was a good choice and served as ''a bridge between central and south America.'' In Panama City, Panamanian Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro said his country was proud of its election to the Security Council.

''We accept this responsibility, and after much domestic consultation with political groups and experts in the area, we concluded that it was an honor and ... accepted it,'' he told journalists.

Lewis Navarro said the strong backing for Panama ''requires us even more to keep communication channels open, channels of consultation with all countries, as decisions are made.'' Guatemala received more votes than Venezuela in all but one of the earlier 47 rounds of balloting, but never reached the required two-thirds majority.

Its ambassador, Jorge Skinner-Klee, told the assembly his country would run for a seat in 2012-2013.

''We regret the polarization of the campaign for reasons that did not arise from our own conduct,'' Skinner-Klee said. He said Guatemala had carried out its campaign with dignity.

The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China hold permanent seats on the Security Council. Ten other nations sit on the council for two-year terms, five elected each year.

Panama will take over the Latin American seat that Argentina vacates on December 31. Peru stays on the council until the end of 2007 along with the Congo Republic, Ghana, Qatar and Slovakia.

In other regions, South Africa, Indonesia, Italy and Belgium received the necessary votes on October 16 to win two-year terms in the council. They replace Tanzania, Japan, Denmark and Greece.

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