Communist May Get U.N. Post

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31257, 2 January 1967, Page 7

Communist May Get U.N. Post

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, January 1. The president of the United Nations General Assembly next year is likely to be, for the first time, a representative of a Communist nation.

Reliable reports said that support was mounting for the Foreign Minister of Rumania, Mr Corneliu Manescu, who announced his candidacy earlier this month. The “Western European and others” group of delegations, comprising the states of Western Europe and the white Commonwealth countries, has pledged its support, the reports said. A letter to this effect was understood to have been transmitted to the Rumanian delegation by Lord Caradon, of Britain, and Mr Roger Seydoux, of France, joint chairmen of the group. Informants said that a

number of Latin American states had indicated that they favoured Mr Manescu’s election, and that the support of the majority of the African and Asian members was taken for granted. Mr Manescu has been nominated by the Eastern European group, which has never had its nominee accepted by the assembly. A perennial candidate used to be Mr Jiri Nosek, of Czechoslovakia, who now is a United Nations under-secretary. Rumania’s increasinglyindependent posture in international affairs was thought to have contributed to Mr Manescu’s anticipated victory.