Michelle Bachelet withdraws from UN secretary-general race after weak poll result
The former Chilean president ended her bid after receiving one “encourage” vote in the latest informal Security Council straw poll.
Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn from the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, ending her bid to become the first woman to hold the role.
Bachelet, 74, announced her decision in an Instagram video on Saturday. Her withdrawal followed the latest informal Security Council straw poll, in which she received one “encourage” vote, 11 “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” votes.
The result marked a decline from six encouraging votes in July and two in August. Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan led the latest poll with nine encouraging votes, followed by Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with eight.
Bachelet was nominated by Chile in February with backing from Brazil and Mexico. Other candidates still in contention include International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, former Senegalese president Macky Sall and Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Fernanda Espinosa.
The informal poll does not determine the appointment. The Security Council must recommend a candidate who wins at least nine of its 15 votes and avoids a veto from any of its five permanent members before the matter goes to the General Assembly.
The next secretary-general will succeed Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on 31 December. The United Nations is also facing financial pressure and deadlock over major international crises, including Gaza and Ukraine.
