
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 28, 1994                   TAG: 9403280100
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

OAS ELECTS COLOMBIAN AS SECRETARY GENERAL

The Organization of American States elected Colombian President Cesar Gaviria its new secretary general Sunday following a strongly fought contest that underscored divisions between the hemispheric organization's big and small members.

On a vote of 20 to 14, Gaviria defeated Costa Rican Foreign Minister Bernd Niehaus. Gaviria's term as Colombia's president ends in August, and he then will succeed Joao Baena Soares of Brazil for a five-year term as chief executive officer of the 35-nation OAS.

In past elections, OAS members usually had reached a consensus in advance about who would get the post. But this year a group of Central American and English-speaking Caribbean states, whose collective population of 34.8 million is the smallest among the hemisphere's sub-regions, revolted against the control that South America's countries have exercised over the secretary general post since the OAS's founding in 1948.

The seven Central American and 13 Caribbean republics struck a deal to support Niehaus in Sunday's election and a Caribbean candidate the next time the post becomes vacant.

But Gaviria, who entered the contest last month, snatched the victory by winning the support of the OAS's largest and most influential regional players, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

- The Washington Post

by CNB