India hopeful of Kamlesh Sharma's election as Commonwealth Sec Gen

New Delhi, Nov 19 (UNI) India today hoped that its candidate, Kamlesh Sharma, would get elected as the next Secretary General of the Commonwealth without any hurdles.

Mr Sharma, India's High Commissioner to Britain, is pitted against Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and an independent candidate Dr Mohan Kaul, an insider who heads the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC).

''We are hopeful that Mr Sharma would sail through. However, efforts are being made to evolve consensus on the election of Mr Sharma. If he gets elected, he will be the first Asian to occupy this coveted post,'' Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said.

Dr Kaul was recently in Delhi to muster support for his candidature and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in this regard. He was told that he had approached the government too late.

Elections to the 53-member world body are being held at Kampala (Uganda) this week.

UNI