The UN presidential election and the gender factor

[Ludicus]

....and the lack of transparency.

Each candidate appear for questioning before the full U.N. membership, the first time this occurred in the 70-year history of the organization, and Guterres benefited from an early selection process that was unprecedentedly open by UN standards. Guterres’ momentum has been confirmed by a series of five straw polls in the Security Council since July.
Guterres tops UN chief straw poll The Security Council conducts its final secret vote Oct. 5.
-------
BUT, guess what, there was a little chance for Bokova to overtake the leader in the race. So,an eastern woman risks losing the race? not at all. Bokova is now out of the race and, in a magic trick, the Bulgarian government pulls support for Irina Bokova: the new candidate is now Kristalina Georgieva.
I have no doubt that Kristalina will be nominated, with Merkel's /Juncker's support.
--------
Please discuss the relevance of the gender factor.Martin Selmayr, chief of staff to Juncker, backed Georgieva on Twitter,

Would be great loss for @EU_Commission. But Kristalina would make strong UNSG, and many Europeans proud. + strong signal for gender equality

Does it really matter? or is just a geopolitical struggle?

[Condottiere 40K]

Candidates tend to be b-grade.

Should nominate Merkel.

[Ludicus]

Should nominate Merkel.

Possible Merkel candidacy to lead UN is just an improbably rumour. The new candidate is Kristalina, supported by Merkel, Juncker and Putin.

[fkizz]

The new candidate is Kristalina, supported by Merkel, Juncker and Putin.

I remember when they said a vote for a Euroceptic party was a vote for Putin because of suposed common interests. But well well well, what do we have here.

[athanaric]

Should nominate Merkel.

That'd be the worst idea. Although I suspect that's the office she wants in the long term.

[Kraut]

That'd be the worst idea. Although I suspect that's the office she wants in the long term.

We should also keep in mind that Mrs. Merkel will be well beyond the age of 70 the day she leaves the Kanzleramt... probably a little too old for the UN Job?

[athanaric]

We should also keep in mind that Mrs. Merkel will be well beyond the age of 70 the day she leaves the Kanzleramt... probably a little too old for the UN Job?

That too. At the moment, it seems like her status is Führer auf Lebenszeit. And Without Alternatives^TM, of course. Still, her idiotic and harmful (to Europe and Germany) decisions over the last few years only make sense if you infer that she's gunning for an office such as this, where it is useful to be seen as a larger-than-life figure and saviour of the world.

Precisely, I completely agree.

Well I'm glad we can agree on something. The person with the best qualifications should win. Sadly, that's almost never the case in politics.

[Ludicus]

The person with the best qualifications should win. Sadly, that's almost never the case in politics.

Yep. They simply don't care.
This is interesting- Barroso's new job at Goldmann Sachs angers EU /France, Germany, etc (morally unecceptable as they say) and a petition against the appointment by G. Sachs of Barroso has attracted more than 76,000 signatures.But - does it really matter?

Bilderberg gathering envisions top job for Kristalina Georgieva ..

Vice-President Kristalina Georgieva attended a meeting of the secretive Bilderberg group in Dresden yesterday (9 June), where, according to information obtained by EurActiv.com, former Commission President José Manuel Barroso promoted her as the next UN Secretary-General.

According to information obtained by EurActiv, Barroso organised the Bilderberg gathering to lobby for Georgieva’s nomination as a candidate for UN Secretary-General. On a visit to Bulgaria on Tuesday (7 June), Barroso asked the country’s prime minister, Boyko Borissov, to change the Bulgarian candidate for the top job.

Disgusting.Without further comments.

----
Fresh news,

Russia change (?) its position,
Russia questions Bulgaria over new candidate for UN chief – EurActiv ...

Russia and three other Security Council members on Thursday (29 September) raised questions after Bulgaria formally presented European budget Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva as its candidate to be the next UN Secretary-General.
UN officials suggested that Russia’s objections were a possible indication that Moscow was unenthusiastic about Georgieva’s bid to become the first woman to lead the United Nations.

"What we have is one candidate with official endorsement of the Bulgarian government and the other candidate who is remaining in the race"

---
Edit,
Nope,
Russia backs 'woman from Eastern Europe

His comments came less than a week after Bulgaria switched candidates for the position, putting forward Kristalina Georgieva

In conclusion, the "democratic" farce is almost over.

[Ludicus]

Bokova is now out of the race and, in a magic trick, the Bulgarian government pulls support for Irina Bokova: the new candidate is now Kristalina Georgieva

Fresh news,Bokova refuses to quit race.Twitter,

Grateful to you all who support me and fully committed to continue the race for #NextSG! @She4SG

That's interesting because Bulgary (legally) cannot support Kristalina - if I understood it well.

[Condottiere 40K]

They can elect a penguin from the Falklands; only the Argentinians would object.

[Ludicus]

They can elect a penguin from the Falklands; only the Argentinians would object.

Try again.
---

Anyone elected to any office should be chemically and otherwise castrated and have to change their names to gender neutral names

I was already expecting this reaction.UN is not a very popular institution between some "democrats".
We know that FDR was a communist.
Edit, I forgot to mention Eleanor.

[Himster]

Anyone elected to any office should be chemically and otherwise castrated and have to change their names to gender neutral names, gender is no longer the pointless issue it is, there can no longer be the existence of political dynasties and nepotism.
There, no more insipid whining about gender "politics".
I just won the internet, everyone shut up and go home.

[Harith]

Please discuss the relevance of the gender factor.Martin Selmayr, chief of staff to Juncker, backed Georgieva on Twitter,

I object.

I think Sir Nils would be a much better candidate. He's royal, charming and, above all, a military commander. It's time that the UN gets someone with a backbone to stand up to state bullies.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Condottiere 40K]

Ban Ki Moon admitted that there were times he had to censor UN censureship, due to financial and political pressure from the affected parties.

I think the principle result of his selection was the greater focus on NorKie nukes.

[Kraut]

....Please discuss the relevance of the gender factor.

I fear I do not understand this part of the question - why gender factor? Both Bokova and Georgieva are... female... or what-the-reactionaries-used-to-call-female-although-there-is-nothing-such... you know...

[StarDreamer]

Gender shouldn't be a factor in any election...

[Ludicus]

Gender shouldn't be a factor in any election...

Precisely, I completely agree.
After 5 public debates between the candidates in the Security Council, Guterres has emerged as the front-runner in the campaign.In fact, he won them all,




BUT,
-Russia wants an Eastern European to lead the U.N.
-Merkel wants a eastern woman - and a UN security council seat.
-The Bulgarian Reformist Bloc applauds,

The nomination of Kristalina Georgieva as a right-wing candidate is good. I think that a right-wing person with right-wing attitudes should head the UN

A last-minute entry into the race - that would not withstand public scrutiny (during the last 100 meters of a marathon) is a completely undemocratic farce, delivering the final coup de grace to destroy the... *cough*... prestige of the UN.
----

But it is.

Indeed.Bokova failed? let's bring another, at the last minute. The quest for a woman,

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Condottiere 40K]

But it is.

[Ludicus]

I was wrong.Justice has be done.

Portugal's Guterres poised to be next U.N. chief: diplomats | Reuters

...after none of the five U.N. Security Council veto powers voted against him in a sixth secret ballot on Wednesday, diplomats said.
The 15-member Security Council cast secret ballots for each of the 10 candidates with the choices of encourage, discourage or no opinion. Guterres received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes.

Today after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters with his 14 council colleagues standing behind him.
"We have decided to go to a formal vote tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock, and we hope it can be done by acclamation," said Churkin, who is council president for October.

Security Council agrees on Portugal's Guterres next UN chief

"I think the breakthrough was the performance and the experience of the candidate," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said. "In the end there was just a candidate whose experience, vision and versatility across a range of areas proved compelling and it was remarkably uncontentious, uncontroversial."
Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft called it "an important day for the Security Council coming together, uniting behind Antonio Guterres who will make a very strong, effective secretary-general of the United Nations at a crucial time for the world and for this organization."