Stewart Stogel
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006

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UNITED NATIONS --The tug of war between U.S. President George W. Bush and Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez entered day two in the U.N. General Assembly.

The anti-U.S. Chavez and Venezuela are competing against U.S.-backed Guatemala for a two-year non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Washington and Caracas have turned what is normally a low-key, low-profile matter and transformed it into a referendum on the antics of the fiery Venezuelan leader.

In September, Chavez, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, repeatedly claimed that the White House had "hijacked" the world body's "independence" and that the General Assembly podium smelled from sulfur because "the Devil" (aka Bush) spoke from that platform the day before.

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That brought howls and laughter from many of the assembled diplomats, but not from the U.S. delegation.

The current standoff now in the General Assembly is regarded by many diplomats as "U.S. payback" to Chavez who has made a Security Council seat "a top priority" of his government.

In the opening round of day two in the U.N. voting, Guatemala garnered 110 votes to 77 for Venezuela, essentially a stalemate, despite intense overnight lobbying by both sides.

Two rounds later, Guatemala gained two more votes leaving the latest score: Guatemala 112 to 75 for Venezuela.

A winner must garner 124 votes for election to the Security Council.

The record for any vote was 155 rounds of voting over a three-month period in 1979. Cuba fought Columbia to a standoff. Mexico entered as a final compromise candidate and got the seat on Jan. 1, 1980.

Ironically, the U.S. campaign for Guatemala is led by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. It was Bolton who successfully led the 2000 Bush campaign's election triumph during multiple vote recounts in Florida.

Unlike Florida, however, Bolton will not have to look at any "hanging chads" at the United Nations as the votes are counted. The U.N. votes are computerized and tallied on giant video screens inside the General Assembly.

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