UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- After a six-day break from voting for Latin America's seat on the Security Council, the U.N. General Assembly has suspended balloting until next week.
"We suspended the election until next week," Ambassador Cesar Mayoral of Argentina said following Wednesday's inconclusive session. "We hope in the meeting tomorrow (Thursday) between the two ministers of foreign affairs of Guatemala and Venezuela they arrive at consensus and the (Latin America and Caribbean) group will have only one candidate in the future to enter the Security Council."
The fight between the two states is to win the seat being vacated Dec. 31 by Argentina.
The assembly has been locked in the battle since Oct. 16 when elections were held for five rotating, two-year seats on the panel of 15.
Belgium, Indonesia, Italy and South Africa handily won seats but neither Guatemala nor Venezuela garnered the necessary two-thirds of those voting in the assembly. Delegates in the 192-member assembly went through their 41st round before suspending balloting Wednesday night.
There is no limit to the number of rounds of voting; in 1979-80 there was a record 154 ballots before Mexico was chosen a consensus candidate. Usually regions agree on a candidate for their seat ahead of the assembly elections.
Guatemala announced its candidacy in 2004, but last year Venezuela said it was going to seek it.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, speaking at the last U.N. General Assembly General Debate, said the podium reeked of sulfur from the day before when U.S. President George W. Bush spoke. The leftist leader went on to call him "the devil."
While it garnered some laughs at the time, many diplomats and analysts think the comments were over the top and hurt his country's bid for the council seat.
