UNITED NATIONS, July 8: The United Nations Security Council will begin considering candidates for the post of the Secretary-General of the United Nations from July 15, said the president of the UN Security Council for the month of July.

Addressing a press conference, French Ambassador Jean-Marie- Sablière said that so far only three candidates were up for consideration. They are: Thai Deputy-Prime Minister Surakiart, Sri Lankan presidential adviser Jayantha Dhanapala, and Shashi Tharoor, an Indian who is the UN under-secretary-general of Informations.

He said that first ‘straw polls’ on the election of a new UN Secretary-General would basically determine the trend in the 15-member UN Security Council.

Any of the five permanent members of the Council — China, Russia, France, Britain and the United States — can veto any candidate from consideration by the 192 members of the UN General Assembly.

Responding to a question, Mr Sablière said that the Security Council would continue to consider candidates until late September before making a final choice.

As the race is getting revved up, diplomats and officials here are awaiting the Pakistani nominee, since Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram told reporters last month that Pakistan would also field its candidate for the post.

Since then speculations as to who will be nominated by Pakistan are plenty, which includes Ambassador of Pakistan at the United Nations Munir Akram, former UN official Nafis Sadik, former foreign secretary, Inamul Haque and Pakistan’s High Commissioner in the UK Maleeha Lodhi.

Ms Lodhi, many senior diplomats and UN officials believe, is most formidable of all the candidates.