Portugal and Austria Defeat Germany for Seats on the UN Security Council

GLOBAL – Portugal and Austria defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided U.N. Security Council in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning.

The 10 rotating seats on the 15-member security council are earmarked for different regions of the world.

The assembly elects five countries by secret ballot every year to serve two-year terms alongside the council’s five permanent veto-wielding members – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

In the other contested race, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines and will join the council for the first time.

Zimbabwe, the African candidate, and Caribbean candidate, Trinidad and Tobago, had no opponents and both were elected with more than 180 votes.