Voting on for Hague Judge Bhandari's re-election

United Nations, November 9

Voting began today in the Security Council and the General Assembly for the election of world court judges in which Dalveer Bhandari of India is facing a Lebanese diplomat in his re-election bid.

The Assembly and the Council are holding separate ballots to elect five judges and candidates have to get an absolute majority in both chambers. Permanent members cannot veto a candidate.

Bhandari was elected to the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2012 to complete the remainder of the term of a retiring judge. He is now running for a full nine-year term. Lebanon's Permanent Representative Nawaf Salam, a jurist-turned-diplomat, is running against him for the judgeship representing Asia.

Bhandari has received nominations from Australia, Bangladesh, Colombia and Israel. Just before the voting began in the Assembly, President Miroslav Lajcik announced that Sri Lanka has also joined in nominating him.

There are six candidates left in the race for the five judgeships up for election this year. — IANS