Newest candidate to be UN chief to be grilled on Monday

The latest candidate to be the next secretary-general, European commissioner Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria, will appear before the U.N. General Assembly on Monday to answer questions from member states.

Georgieva, a former World Bank vice-president, entered the race after Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov announced Wednesday that the government was switching its support from UNESCO chief Irina Bokova to her.

Assembly President Peter Thomson, responding to a question, told reporters Friday “there’s no limit on whether a country can produce one or two” candidates.

Three of the 12 initial candidates have withdrawn from the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, whose term ends on Dec. 31. Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres has topped all five informal polls in the Security Council. The next poll is on Oct. 5.