First vote on IAEA chief inconclusive: diplomats

The first round of voting in the election of the UN atomic watchdog's new chief was inconclusive, with neither of the two candidates winning the necessary two-thirds majority, diplomats told AFP on Thursday.

In the first informal secret ballot on Thursday morning, front-runner Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano won 21 votes, and rival candidate Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa won 14 votes. There were no abstentions, a diplomat who attended the closed-door session told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In order to win, a candidate would have to secure at least 24 votes from a total 35 on the board.