Security Council may vote on Annan

The U.N. Security Council has tentatively scheduled a vote sometime in late June on Kofi Annan's nomination for a second term as secretary-general, and the General Assembly is expected to confirm him, officials said Friday.

Annan, 63, announced his candidacy for another five-year term in March and quickly won support from countries around the globe. President Bush was one of the first to back his bid for a new term.

Support from the United States - as well as Russia, France, China and Britain - is key since any of the five Security Council members can veto a candidate before sending nominations on to the General Assembly for a final vote.

By tradition, the secretary-general's job rotates every 10 years by region, and by the end of this year, Africa will have had 10 years in the seat.

But Africa's term was divided because the United States blocked Annan's predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, from getting a second term. Asia is next in the rotation to choose a secretary-general.