There will be New Light (TM) coming forth soon regarding this. The prophecy about a ban of all religion was misinterpreted. Upon further review, a Ban is coming for the U.N., not "false religion".
Two More Quit Race for U.N. Post
Associated Press
October 5, 2006 11:02 p.m.
UNITED NATIONS -- The Latvian and Thai candidates dropped out of the race to become the next U.N. chief on Thursday, leaving South Korea's foreign minister as the lone remaining contender and near-certain successor to Kofi Annan.
![[Ban Ki Moon]](http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/images/HC-GI775_Ki_Moo_20061002085335.gif)
Latvian President Vaira Vike-Frieberga's candidacy was formally withdrawn in a letter to Japan's ambassador to the U.N., the Security Council president for October. In Bangkok, interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Surakiart Sathirathai, the Thai deputy foreign minister and first person to announce his candidacy, was leaving the race, too.
"It is like when we play football," Mr. Surayud said. "When we go to the final round and know that we are going to lose, we have to accept it."
That reflected the consensus that South Korean Foreign Minster Ban Ki Moon will become the eighth secretary-general in the 61-year history of the U.N. His ascendancy to the post was all but assured on Monday, when he demolished the other candidates in an informal poll of the U.N. Security Council.
Mr. Ban won 14 favorable votes and one of no opinion, and even more importantly, he got the support of the council's five veto-wielding nations. All the other candidates had at least one veto.
Shortly after that poll, the Security Council announced it would hold a formal vote next Monday to nominate the new secretary-general. That nomination would then go before the 192-member General Assembly, which traditionally agrees without debate.
Mr. Annan steps down on Dec. 31 after two five-year terms.