A/61/PV.33 General Assembly

The General Assembly will continue with the election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2006. As members will recall, when the 32nd plenary meeting was adjourned earlier today, there still remained one seat from among the Latin American and Caribbean States to be filled. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall proceed now to the next round of balloting by secret ballot. This fifth round of balloting, which is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure, will also be the third unrestricted ballot. May I remind the Assembly that any Member State from among the Latin American and Caribbean States may be a candidate except those outgoing members and those already members of the Security Council. To make this clear, I shall mention the names of those members which cannot be voted for in the present balloting, namely, Argentina and Peru. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” will be declared invalid if they contain the name of more than one State. If a ballot paper contains the name of a Member State which does not belong to that region, that name will not be counted at all.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 5 Required two-thirds majority: 125 Votes obtained: Guatemala 103 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 83 Mexico 1 Since the result of the ballot has been inconclusive, there still remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We must therefore proceed to a second unrestricted ballot. For this sixth round of balloting, may I remind the Assembly that any Member State from among the Latin American and Caribbean States may be a candidate except those outgoing members and those already members of the Security Council. To make this clear, I shall mention the names of those members which cannot be voted for in the present balloting, namely, Argentina and Peru. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” will be declared invalid if they contain the name of more than one State. If a ballot paper contains the name of a Member State which does not belong to that region, that name will not be counted at all.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 5 Required two-thirds majority: 125 Votes obtained: Guatemala 93 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 93 Mexico 1 Since the result of this ballot has again been inconclusive, there still remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We must therefore proceed to a third unrestricted ballot. For this seventh round of balloting, may I remind the Assembly that any Member State from among the Latin American and Caribbean States may be a candidate except those outgoing members and those already members of the Security Council. To make this clear, I shall mention the names of those members which cannot be voted for in the present balloting, namely, Argentina and Peru. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States the name of the one State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” will be declared invalid if they contain the name of more than one State. If a ballot paper contains the name of a Member State which does not belong to that region, that ballot paper will be declared invalid.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 5 Required two-thirds majority: 125 Votes obtained: Guatemala 96 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 89 Cuba 1 Mexico 1 Since the result of this ballot has again been inconclusive, there still remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the eighth round, which is the fourth restricted ballot. This eighth round of balloting shall be restricted to two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States which were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the name of the State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as if they contain the name of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 5 Required two-thirds majority: 125 Votes obtained: Guatemala 102 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 85 Since the result of this ballot has again been inconclusive, there still remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the ninth round, which is the fifth restricted ballot. This ninth round of balloting shall be restricted to two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States which were not elected but obtained the largest number of votes in the previous ballot, namely Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the name of the State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as if they contain the name of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 4 Required two-thirds majority: 128 Votes obtained: Guatemala 107 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 81 Since the result of this ballot has again been inconclusive, there still remains one seat to be filled from among the Latin American and Caribbean States. We shall therefore proceed to the tenth round, which is the sixth restricted ballot. This tenth round of balloting shall be restricted to two States from among the Latin American and Caribbean States which were not elected in the previous ballot, namely Guatemala and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. This is in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. We shall now begin the voting process. Ballot papers marked “B” will now be distributed. May I ask representatives to write on the ballot papers the name of the State for which they wish to vote. Ballot papers marked “B” for the Latin American and Caribbean States will be declared invalid if they contain the name of a State other than Guatemala or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as if they contain the name of more than one State.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Latin American and Caribbean States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 191 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 191 Abstentions: 4 Required two-thirds majority: 125 Votes obtained: Guatemala 110 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 77 This restricted ballot has again been inconclusive. In accordance with the rules of procedure, we should next continue with the series of unrestricted ballots. However, if view of the late hour, I propose that we postpone further balloting until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. It is so decided.