A/31/PV.3 General Assembly

Although rule 31 of the rules of procedure states that the Vice-Presidents shall be elected after the election of the Chairmen of- the seven Main Committees referred to in rule 98, it would help to expedite our work if we were to proceed at once to the election of the 17 Vice-Presidents. While the ballot papers are beingcounted,I shall recess the meeting to enablethose who are concerned with the electionof the Chairman of the Fourth Committee to hold consultations and reach a decision on their nomination. That would enable us to complete the constitution of the General Committee. If I hear no objection, I shall take it that the Assembly agrees to proceedin that manner.

As the Assembly has just decided, we shall now proceed to the election of the 17 Vice- Presidents of the General Assembly whoareto be chosen in such a manner as to ensure the representative character of the General Committee. An States Members of the General Assembly are eligible in this election except those already represented in the General Committee-namely, those countries whose representatives have been elected to the presidency of the General Assembly or to the chairmanship of one of the Main Committees. 3. I realize that a problem arises here, because we do not know -which countries are not represented among the ehairmanships of the Main Committees. It appears that, Wednesday, 22 September 1976, at 4.10p.m. NEW YOlK although I made a suggestion that we proceed to the election of the 17 Vice-Presidents, we may not be in a positionto do so. I callon the Under-Secretary-General for Political and General Assembly Affairs to advise us on this point.

It would seem to us that, given the general assumptions which must be made about the probable candidacies for chairman of the Fourth Committee andthe fact that candidates for the chairmen of sixof the Main Committees have already beenagreed upon, it wouldbe reasonable to assume that, given the numberof candidates for the post of Vice-President that have already been agreed upon and that have beel} neithercontestednor made dependent on the final decision regarding the chairmanship of the Fourth Committee, it would be in orderfor the President to proceed, S. The PRESIDENT: I take it that the Assembly is, therefore, ready to proceed wi~ the election of the 17 Vice-Presidents.

In view of the fact that under resolution 1990 (XVIII) the election of the President has the effect of reducing by one the number of vice- presidencies allocated to the region from which the President has. been elected, only six representatives from African and Asian States-that is, from GroupA, as indicated in foot-note 14 to rule 31 of the rules of procedure-may be electedVice-Presidents. 7. Under rule 92 of the rules of procedure, all elections must be held by secret ballot and there shall be no nominations. 8. Five ballot papers are now being distributed. The back of eachballot paper is markedwith the letter A, B,C,D or E, correspon&g to the five groups of States. The number of Vice-Presidents to be elected is indicated on eachballot paper,asfonows: Group A: Six representatives from African and Asian States; Group B: One representative from anEastern European State; Group C: Three representatives from Latin American States; Group D: Two representatives from Western European andother States; Group E: Five representatives from the pennanent members ofthe SecurityCouncil. 10. In orderthat thereshould be no confusion with regard to the ballot paper for GroupA, representatives from African and Asian States, I wish to state that, although the ballot papersays that there will be seven vice-presidencies, the seventh has been eliminated and that group is entitled to only six vice-presidencies. We shall nowproceed to the vote.

Since the countingof the votes will take some time,I propose to suspend the meeting while the tellers arecarrying out their task. The meeting was suspended at 4.35 p.m. andresumed at 5.50p.m. '

Before announcing the results -of the election for the Vfce-Presidents of the General As· sembly, I should like to state that I have been informed by the tellen that in certain instances votes were-cast for P"DJ1anent memben of the Security Council in the voting for regional groups. Those votes for permanent members of the Security Council have not been included in the total numberofvotes. 13. I shall now announce the results ofthe election for the Vice·Presidents of the General Assembly. 133o 133 1 132 67 Chad •••••.••.•.••.•..•..•....... 127 UnitedRepublic of Tanzania ..••.•...••• 127 Guirlea • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • •• •.• • • . • • •12S Sudan •.••.........•.•.•..•.•.. .-. 125 Japll1 • • • • • • • • .. • • • . • • • e • • • • • • • .'. • • 114 Omlll ..••••• "••..•..••••••.••• '••• 112 I>emocratic Yemen • . • • . • • •• • . • • . • • • • • -5 3 2 Gennan Democratic Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Romania ••••••••••••••••••••••••• .3 Yugoslavia •......• ti • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 1 Group C: Latin American States Numbero/ballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number0/valid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmemben voting: Required majority: 131o 131 2 129 65 Panama .......•......•........... 127 Dominican Republic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Njcaragua • . . • . • • . • • • . . • . . . . . • . . • . . 117 Cuba •.•............•...•........ 4 Guyana ,............ 2 Venezuela • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . •. 2 Argentina . • . . . . • . . • . . . . . . • . . • . . . .. 1 Colombia .........•....... . . . . . . . •. 1 Costa Rica 1 Jamaica •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 Mexico • . • . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . • . • . . • •. 1 Peru, ••'.......................... 1 Group D: Western European andotherStates Numbero/ballot papers: 133 Invalidballots: 1 Numbero/valid ballots: 132 Abstentions: 2 Number ofmembers voting: 130 Required majority: 66 Number ofvotes obtained: Turkey 125 Australia ............•............ 122 Austria • • . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . . . • . .. 2 Sweden . ti • • • • • • • • a • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 •• 2 Greece • . . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . • • • . . . . .• 1 Luxembourg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Netherlands •••...•..•.......••.... 1 Portugal • . . . . . . . .. . . • • . . . . • . • . • • • .• 1 Group E:Permanent members 0/the Security Council Number ofballot papers: 133 Invalid ballots: 1 Number a/valid ballots: 132 Abstentions: 4 Number ofmembers voting: 128 Required 11IIljority: 65

I thank the tellers for their assist- ance in this election, and I congratulate the countries whose representatives have been elected Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly. 15. I shall now suspend the meeting so that the Fourth Committee may meet to electits Chairman. The meeting was suspended at 5.55p.m. and resumed at 6p.m. AGENDA ITEM S Constitution of theMain Committees andelection of officers (concluded)

The following representatives have been elected Chairmen of the seven Main Committees of May I congratulate the Chainnen on their election. I look forward to their co-operation during the rest of the session. 17. TheGeneral Committee has nowfullyconstituted. 18. I think it is appropriate for me at this stage to makea statementin relationto the problems that have arisentoday in the elections. The difficulties we have encountered in disposing of the chairmanships of tile Main Committees lead me to observe that this is a matter in which advance planning and agreement among all, groups can greatly facilitate and expedite the work of the General Assembly. It is quite clear that our difficulties have arisen because there is no fixed pattern of rotation of Committee chairmanships on a regional basis. To avoid a repetition of the problem we have encountered today I wouldurge the chatanen of the regional groups to.take it upon themselves during the balance of this session to seekto arrive at a firm agreement on how chairman.ships should rotate so that we may have a gentleman's agreement which wecouldobserve in the future and avoid the difficulties that have arisen today.