NDTV

New York, Oct 3: India's nominee Shashi Tharoor has pulled out of the race for the post of the next UN Secretary General.

The decision came after the South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon emerged a clear winner in the fourth Straw Polls.

"It is quite clear that from today's straw poll that Minister Ban Ki-Moon is the candidate that the Security Council will recommend to the General Assembly," said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya.

With that statement outside the UN Security Council on Monday evening, Shashi Tharoor’s hopes to become the next UN Secretary General was dashed.

"It is a great honour and a huge responsibility to be Secretary-General, and I wish Mr Ban every success in that task," Shashi Tharoor said.

"I entered the race because of my devotion to the United Nations, and for the same reason I will strongly support him as the next Secretary-General. The UN, and the world, has a stake in his success".

"I should like to express my gratitude to the Government of India for having nominated me as its official candidate," Tharoor said.

"Though I have never been an official of the government, I consider it a great honour to have been the bearer of India’s nomination, as well as of the hopes and aspirations of so many well-wishers in India and around the world," he said.

UN system

Under the UN's system for electing its secretary general, Monday’s coloured-card straw poll was considered the make or break moment.

It was an overwhelming poll in favour of the South Korean Foreign Minister. 14 of the security council’s 15 members gave their encouragement for Mr Ban, and only 1 country abstained.

Shashi Tharoor only managed 10 encouragements, and 3 against. but he most importantly received a discouragement from a permanent member, effectively a veto.

Although its unclear who the veto came from for Mr Tharoor, sources in the UN have speculated it was from the US.

Tension between the UN and the USA has been on the rise with major differences over the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the crisis in Lebanon recently, as well as the on going confrontation with Iran.

The US, which had so far been silent on who it would support in the race for Secretary General, came out in open support of Ban after the final straw poll.

"We have a lot of respect for Foreign Minister Ban. We know him well from his service in Washington and here in New York and think very highly of him professionally and personally," said John Bolton, US Representative to the United Nations.

Race for top job

There were a total of six candidates in Monday's poll. All apart from Ban received at least one discouragement from a permanent member of the Security Council.

The Security Council is expected to move to a formal vote in Mr Ban’s favour next week. Kofi Annan, will complete his second five-year term at the end of the year and its widely considered Asia's turn to hold the post of secretary general.

Seven months of campaigning obviously helped Ban ki moon, popular diplomat and also key player in the six-party talks with Korea.

Tharoor campaign couldn’t match up, and Ban survived allegations of buying influence on the Security Council. Unless someone joins the race this week, BKM will be the next UNSG.