All contenders for UN chief receive veto

All seven candidates to lead the United Nations received a vote of “discourage,” effectively a veto, from a permanent UN Security Council member in the latest informal poll, a diplomat said Friday.

Friday’s vote was the first time in the anonymous informal polling that Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States used colored straws to indicate their vetoes, while the Security Council’s 10 elected members continued to use plain markers.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan — who has been among the frontrunners in the five previous polls — received the most “encourage” votes this time, but also got five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members.