Bulgaria nominates new candidate to run for UN chief

Bulgarian government here on Wednesday decided to nominate Kristalina Georgieva as a candidate for the next United Nations(UN) secretary-general, and withdraw its support for Irina Bokova.

Bokova received a large number of discourage votes during the latest UN Security Council's informal straw polls, which limited her chance to be elected, the government said in a statement.

This requires the nomination of a new Bulgarian candidate, who would be able to successfully join the race for UN leadership and become a leading candidate in the short time remaining, the statement said.

Georgieva, the current European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, "is a recognized world authority in the field of international cooperation and humanitarian issues that are emerging as a leading trend in the work of the UN," the government said.

The broad support and international contacts enjoyed by Georgieva provided an opportunity to consolidate the Eastern European regional group, the statement said.

Bulgaria officially nominated Irina Bokova, current director general of UN cultural organization UNESCO, as a candidate for the post of the next UN secretary-general in February. She ranked sixth at the UN Security Council secret and informal straw poll on Monday. The poll showed former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is still leading the race. Endit