MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS can't agree: new voting round May 2.

The Organization of American States Secretary General election will resume next May 2 after five rounds of unsuccessful draws between the two competing candidates from Chile and Mexico.

According to OAS rules after five rounds the 34 country members general assembly can call it off and decide on a new date when the voting becomes an open event, meaning that further candidates besides the current competing ones, can register.

Chilean Minister of Interior Jose Miguel Insulza and Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez obtained seventeen votes each, one short of victory.

Apparently Peru is considering presenting its Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros as a potential candidate. However Mr. Insulza and Mr. Derbez have confirmed they will continue in the race.

Pervious to the election, Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Ignacio Walker was openly optimistic about Mr. Insulza, however last Friday when the third candidate, former El Salvador president Francisco Flores walked out, his votes, (Central American and some Caribbean countries) allegedly (since voting is secret) changed sides to the Mexican hopeful. United States had originally supported Mr. Flores.

The fourteen Caribbean countries votes are decisive for the election of the new Secretary General and have been repeatedly wooed by both sides: the South American block aligned behind Mr. Insulza, and the Mexican and now US group.

Apparently on this occasion they voted divided, eleven (strongly lobbied by promises of aid and oil from Venezuela) supported Mr. Insulza and three Mr. Derbez .

"I never expected the end of the day without a new Secretary General", said acting Secretary General Luigi Einaudi from the US. "We expect to receive them again (in Washington) May 2 hoping that for then we can arrive to a final vote and advance in the attainment of the objectives on which the General Assembly has agreed", added Mr. Einaudi.

In South America, Bolivia did not support the Chilean candidate since the two countries have a pending border argument, and Paraguay that has proposed Foreign Affairs minister Leila Rachid as candidate for Deputy Secretary General.

Ms. Rachid is expected to be voted in during the OAS annual General Assembly next June in Fort Lauderdale, but if Mr. Insulza is elected, Paraguay's chances disappear since both posts can be occupied by countries from the same region.

The 34 OAS members arrived to this extraordinary situation following the October 2004 resignation of former Costa Rica president Miguel Angel Rodriguez who faces charges of corruption in his country.

The only previous similar situation dates back to 1975 when after six voting rounds none of the three candidates managed the necessary 18 votes, and in the seventh vote a fourth candidate Alejandro Orfila from Argentina was elected.