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IAEA mulls limiting chief's mandate
Vienna (AFP) March 5, 2009 The UN atomic watchdog Thursday discussed a proposal to limit the terms of its chief to just two in future, diplomats said. No vote was taken on the proposal, listed as one of the last items on the final day of the spring meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board which began on Monday. The United States and the EU supported the proposal but groups representing developing countries, such as the G77 and the Non-Aligned Movement, were opposed, said diplomats who attended the closed-door session. Some said the proposal should not be put to a vote this time round while the agency is still seeking a replacement for its current chief, Mohamed ElBaradei. There is currently no limit to the number of terms a director general can serve and ElBaradei, who is scheduled to step down at the end of November, has served three terms, or 12 years in all. There are currently two candidates vying to replace the Egyptian-born diplomat -- Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa. His successor will be chosen at a special board meeting on March 26-27. Diplomats involved in the consultations say that Amano, 61, has the lead over Minty, 69, but is still short of the two-thirds majority required for victory. Amano is seen as the favoured candidate of the West -- Canada officially voiced its support for him during the meeting on Thursday, diplomats said. But his critics say he lacks charisma. Minty, on the other hand, is seen as having the support of developing and non-aligned countries. Both Minty and Amano have said they would not stand for a third term, diplomats said. The four-day meeting covered a whole range of issues, most importantly the IAEA's investigations into alleged illicit nuclear work by both Syria and Iran. Related Links Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Fire at Japan nuke plant, no radiation leak: operator
Kashiwazaki, Japan (AFP) March 5, 2009A small fire broke out in a Japanese nuclear plant Thursday, injuring one worker, but was extinguished without a radiation leak, said operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO). |
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