I’m not disheartened: Tharoor

NEW DELHI: A day ahead of the last ‘straw poll’ for the UN Secretary General’s post, Indian nominee Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said ‘independent countries’ should not be influenced by any considerations amidst reports that South Korea has offered inducements to gain backing for its candidate. Mr Tharoor, who has been a runner-up in the last three straw polls, is ‘not disheartened’ and said he was making all out efforts to emerge victorious as “we have a strong case in terms of qualification”.

He said that he was talking to all the countries that would take part in the vote and hoped they would “give full consideration to our message”.

Monday’s poll is “going to be quite determinant, I think. We have to see whether countries are prepared to make this into a horse race or whether to go ahead with the person who is leading,” the determined UN Under Secretary General for Communications said. “At this stage, we are doing everything we can,” he said.

Tharoor continues to stand at second position after South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-Moon in three straw polls. His task got tougher on Saturday after he failed in the third straw poll to get the requisite nine votes needed for selection for the top post.

On reports that South Korea had been trying to induce countries to support Ban Ki-Moon, Mr Tharoor offered no direct comment but said, “I would like to believe that independent countries would not be influenced by any considerations other than their own national foreign policy priorities.”