UNITED NATIONS, Oct 8: Syria, running unopposed, was elected on Monday to a non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2002-2003.

Syria, a country on the US list of nations sponsoring terrorism, received 160 votes among the 178 members casting ballots in the UN General Assembly, thereby receiving the two-thirds vote necessary for election.

Syria’s candidacy has been assured since March when it ran unopposed as a member of the 50-nation Asia regional grouping. Under UN practice an Arab nation gets a council seat each year, alternating between the African and the Asian group. No Middle East nation opposed Syria, which will replace Tunisia on the 15-member council in January.

Also running unopposed and elected on Monday were Cameroon and Guinea representing two slots vacant for Africa. In eastern Europe, Bulgaria beat Belarus. And a runoff was called for the between Mexico and the Dominican Republic for the Latin American seat.

The Security Council, some of whose decisions are mandatory for all UN members, has five permanent members with veto power — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. Another 10 non-permanent members rotate for two year terms, five of them each year, according to geographical regions.—Reuters