ALBA Pushing Zelaya Candidacy to Head OAS

The 36-nation Organization of American States (OAS) will vote March 24 to elect a Secretary General to head the organization. The only candidate in the running is the current Secretary General, Miguel Insulza, who has been in office since May 26, 2005. It is widely believed that Mr. Insulza has the votes he needs to be re-elected for a second five-year term. But Mr. Insulza may end up having some competition if an effort by several governments within the Venezuela-led ALBA alliance gains momentum. According to an article on Monday in the Nicaraguan magazine Nicaragua Hoy, the governments of Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Nicaragua are looking to collect the necessary votes to elect deposed president Manuel Zelaya as the new Secretary General of the OAS. A simple majority of 18 votes would be needed. Cuba and Honduras are ineligible to vote because they remain under suspension. Mr. Zelaya said yesterday that he was not interested in competing for Mr. Insulza's job. (3/4/10) (photo of Miguel Insulza and Manuel Zelaya courtesy Internet)