S/35/PV.42 Security Council

The 42nd plenary meeting adjourned yesterday afternoon on the under- standing that, in the intervening period, the group of Latin American States would hold consultations regarding the group's candidature for the Latin American seat to be made vacant by Jamaica's depar- ture at the end of 1980. 2. This decision was made after two ballots, at the conclusion of which Guyana received 70 votes in the Assembly although we were not a candidate in these elections. This development came as a great surprise to Guyana, I assure you, Mr. President, and, I am certain, to manyothers. Wehad not soughtthe nomina- tion of the Latin American ~roup. We had not cam- paigned, nor didwe lobbyfor ourselves. Whatoccurred yesterday represented an expression of the wish of 70 members of the Assembly to see Guyana occupy the vacant Latin Americanseat inthe SecurityCouncil. 3. It is true that Guyana was not a candidate, but when 70 members of the Assembly indicate by their votes in an U abidden, unsolicited manner that they would like Guyana to be a candidate, it is clear that an entirely new situation has been created, one which requires of us a particular kind of response. I wish to assure representatives that the suddenness with which this situation developed and the pressures to which we have been subjected through the approaches of various delegations have indeed made the decision- making process a difficult one for us. I must say that my delegation was profoundly touched by the expres- sion of faith in Guyana that was demonstrated in the Assembly yesterday and also by the encouragement of those delegations-and those liberation movements as weli-which urged that Guyana should respond by becoming a candidate. 4. Guyana recognizes an obligation to seek to main- tain the harmony of the Latin American group at all 797 A/3S/PV.43 NEW YORK times. The votingyesterday pitted two Latin American States against each other. Delegations will remember well the development of a similar situation last year and its effect on the unity of the group and on the work of the Assembly. This year's situation is ad- mittedly somewhat different in that one candidature was announced beforehand while the other arose out of a spontaneous expression of the desire of a signif- icant number of members of the General Assembly. S. Nevertheless, we recognized that this situation was one which contained a potential for divisiveness and polarization not only within the Latin American group but also within the Assembly itself. 6. There exists within the Latin American group a plural!sm which is both cultural and ideological. This pluralism, we feel, has yet to find. full expression in the group's representation in the Security Council. The problem which we encountered last year and certainly that which has been developing in relation to the present election might have had their origin in a recognition of this failure by a large number of members of the Assembly. It is essential that steps be taken to face this issue squarely so as to ensure that the realities of our regional group are reflected in such areas as the composition of the Security Council. 7. Guyana does not wish to see disharmony sown in the Latin American group. We do not wish to see the smooth functioning of the Assembly's work impaired. For this reason and in the hope that in future we shall be able to respond to and accommodate the pluralism that is t~e very essen~e of this Organization, Guyana has decided-sand I Wish now to declare-that we are not a candidate for the present elections. 8: I wi~h to thank very sincerely those 70 delega- nons which have expressed their confidence in us by givingus their votes. We value this expression of sup- port and earnestly hope that we can rely on this continuing support at the elections to be held during the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly when Guyana will be a candidate for the seat which will become vacant at the end of 1981. This indication was given to the Latin American group as early as 1979. 9.. Mr. nfEZ (Chile) (interpretation from Spanish): First of all, I wish to thank you, Mr. President, and through you the delegations present, for allowing the Latin American group to hold a meeting so as to find a solutionamongstourselves to the problem withwhich we were unexpectedly confronted yesterday afternoon. I personally am very happy to tell the General Assem- bly that the Latin American group held two meetings, one yesterday afternoon and one this morning. In the course of this morning's meeting-and as the Assem- bly is now aware-the representative of Guyana 13~ 'FIle first conclusion that my delegation draws frc>m that statement, for which'l thank the \delegation of Guyana, .is tha~ yesterday when we took two votes in two. restricted' ballots involving Costa Rica and Guyaria~ we were voting for a country'which was not a candidate. . 14.. Rule 9.4 of the rules of procedure states: "When two or more elective places are to be filled at one time under the same conditions, those candidates obtaining hi 'the first ballot the majority requir,~d shall be elected.lfthe numberofcandidates 'obtaining suchm~ority is less than the number of persons or Members to be. elected, there shall. be additional ballots to fill the. remaining places, the v,oting being restricted, to the candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes 'in the previous ballot, to a numbernot more than twice the places remaining to be filled..." IS. I note from the statement just made that Guyana was not a candidate yesterday, but Guyana was eligible and so when we proceeded to a voteit came second, after Costa Rica, among the countries that did not .obtain the necessary m~ority during the first vote. We should, be able to re-establish the legality of the procedure by cancelling or invalidating the votes taken yesterday during the first and second restricted ballots, because even though Guyana was eilgible, in 'fact it was not a candidate. That would enable us today to resume the legal procedure and vote for the one candidate still on the list,'in accordance with what has been said by the representative ofGuyana; otherwise I 'think we would have an extremely dangerous pre- cedent in our files. In order to resume a legal pro- cedure, I think we shall have to invalidate the votes taken in the first and second restricted ballots, because Guyanasay$ it wasnot a candidate.

I should like to ask for clarification. 17. Yesterday when you, Mr. President, asked us to vote for the third time in a restricted ballot, you said

As representatives may recall, I put the proposal of the Chairman of the Latin American group for a suspension to the Assembly and asked if there were any objections. I heard none. I might also recall to representatives that a similar situa- tion arose during the tenth session of the General Assembly when the Assembly was already in the process of electing non-permanent members of the Security Council. At the request ofone representative, a suspension of 15 to 20 minutes was agreed upon and the election was resumed after the suspension. There is therefore a precedent.

For what it may be worth, I merely wanted to clarify what I meant when I said that Guyana was not a candidate. Whereas Costa Rica had notified the Latin America group of its wish to occupy the Latin American seat in the Security Council which will become vacant at the end of 1980, Guyana had not done so. Whereas the Assembly was seized of a candidature presented by Costa Rica for the elections which began yesterday, the Assembly was not so seized in the case of Guyana. That is what I meant when I said that Guyana was nota candidate.

I should like to express the view ofmy delegation in regard to any future procedure on the suspension of meetings. I thiuk it might be better practice if, once ballot papers have been dis- tributed, the meeting is not suspended. Yesterday my delegation did not raise any objection to the pro- cedure, although we were given the opportunity to object if we found it necessary, because the Chairman of the Latin American group was speaking on behalf of the whole group and, in particular, he had also consulted the delegations of the two countries which were receiving the highest number of votes in the balloting. But I should like to say that for the future it might be better practice not to suspend meetings once the ballot papers have been distributed. 21. On a second point, so far as I remember-and I stand to be corrected-we were on the third restricted ballot yesterday when we suspended the meeting. Unless we are suspending rule 94 of the rules ofpro- cedure, which I believe is not permissible, we shall have to proceed with that ballot.

Before we go any further, my delegation would like to pay a tribute to the delegation of Guyana, as well as to the delegation of Chile-in particular to its head who is the Chairman of the Latin American group-for their clarification on the subject of the candidature of a State of Latin America, that is, the candidature of Costa Rica, for one ofthe non-permanent seats in the Security Council. 23. May I, in this connexion, appeal to members of the General Assembly not to become involved in · ,151 ,8 143 6 137 92 Costa Rica . 90 47 Guyana .

The third restricted ballot has also been inconclusive. We must therefore proceed to an unrestricted ballot, in accordance with the rules of procedure. 35. In this unrestricted ballot, any Member State from Group B-the group of Latin American States- may be a candidate, except Jamaica, which is retiring from the Security Council and is therefore not eligible for immediate re-election, and Mexico, whose term as a member of the Council has not yet expired. 36. The ballot papers will now be distributed. I request representatives to write the name of only one country on the ballot paper. Any ballot papers co~­ tainingthe name of more than one State from the Latin American group will be declared invalid. At the invitation ofthe President, Mr. Tinea (Roma- nia), Mr. Jasudasen (Singapore) and Mr. Adeyemi (Nigeria) acted as tellers. A vote was taken by secret ballot. 37. The PRESIDENT: I propose now to suspend the meeting while the ballots are being counted. The meeting was suspended at 4.30 p.m. and resumed at 4.45 p.m. 38. The PRESIDENT: The result of the voting is as follows: Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number of valid ballots: Abstentions: Number of members voting: Required majority: 151 1 150 1 149 100 Number of votes obtained: Costa" Rica . 84 36 22 4 1 I 1 Guyana . Nicaragua . Cuba . Barbados . Chile . Peru .

Since the required ml\iority has not been obtained and the ballot has been incon- clusive, we shall proceed to a second unrestricted ballot, in accordance with the rules of procedure. 40. As before, I would request representatives to write on each ballot the name of one country from Group B, the group of Latin American States, other

Since the required majority has again not been obtained, we shaH now proceed to a third unrestricted ballot. As before, I would request members to write on each ballot the name of one country from Group B, the group of Latin American States, other than Mexico, which is still a member of the Security Council, and Jamaica, which is retiring. 45. The ballot papers are now being distributed. Those bearing more than one name will be declared invalid. At the invitation ofthe President, Mr. Tinea (Roma- nia), Mr. Jasudasen (Singapore) and Mr. Adeyemi (Nigeria) acted as tellers. A vote was taken by secret ballot.

I propose now to suspend the meeting while the ballots are being counted. The meeting was suspended at 5.20 p.m. and resumed at 5.55 p.m. 47. The PRESIDENT: The result of the voting is as follows: Number ofballot papers: Invalid ballots: Number of valid ballots: Abstentions: Number ofmembers voting: Required majority: 151o 151 2 149 100 151o 151 5 146 98 86 60 Costa Rica . Nicaragua " .

The results of this ballot still being inconclusive and in view of the late hour, the General Assembly will resume the voting at a later date.