Japanese takes lead in straw poll for top IAEA job

VIENNA: A Japanese diplomat took a clear lead over four rivals in a straw poll held yesterday to identify a frontrunner to take over the UN nuclear agency, but it was not enough to defuse fears of another election impasse.

Japan's Yukiya Amano drew almost twice as much support as the next contender, South Africa's Abdul Samad Minty. But he again fell short of a two-thirds majority needed for victory, as he had in an inconclusive election three months ago.

While giving Amano fresh momentum in the contest to replace Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who leaves office in November, yesterday's non-binding poll did not raise hopes he would emerge triumphant in a second-round election on July 2.