afrol News, 16 October - Gabon and Nigeria will join Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil and Lebanon to serve two-year terms on the Security Council starting next January after they won elections to the 15-member body yesterday.

The five countries were chosen after running uncontested races for the non-permanent seats, and they were duly elected by the General Assembly during a secret ballot at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

To be elected to the Security Council, candidate countries need a two-thirds majority of ballots of Member States that are present and voting. The seats are allocated on the basis of geographical groupings.

Nigeria, which received 186 votes for one of the two African seats available, has served three times previously on the Council, in 1966-67, 1978-79 and 1994-95. Gabon, which picked up 184 votes, served in 1978-79 and in 1998-99.

Lebanon, which was chosen after receiving 180 votes, is returning to the Council after a break of more than half a century. Its only other stint was in 1953-54.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, which won the seat allocated for the Eastern European States after receiving 183 votes, has never served before on the Council.

Brazil was chosen for the Latin American and Caribbean category after being awarded 182 votes. It has served on the Council on nine other occasions: 1946-47, 1951-52, 1954-55, 1963-64, 1967-68, 1988-89, 1993-94, 1998-99 and 2004-05.

The five countries will join Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda, whose terms on the Council end on 31 December 2010. The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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