Vienna  - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began Friday holding a run-off vote to choose a successor to outgoing chief Mohammed ElBaradei after Thursday's balloting by the 35-member failed to choose between Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano and his South African riva, Abdul Samad Minty.

Amano, 61, clearly won over Minty, 69, in three rounds of voting, but fell short of the necessary 24 votes, or two-thirds majority, of the board vote as required under the agency's rules.

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Vienna - Neither of the two candidates in the election to succeed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammed ElBaradei reached a decisive majority in the first rounds of the poll held Thursday, the agency has said.

The favoured candidate, Japanese diplomat and disarmament expert Yukiya Amano (61) however emerged in the lead, beating rival South African Abdul Samad Minty
(69) in the three voting rounds, without achieving the necessary 24 votes out of 35 members of the IAEA's board.

Vienna  - With long-serving director Mohammed ElBaradei uninterested in a fourth term, the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is set to meet Thursday to pick a successor.

Two candidates have thrown their hat into the ring.

Yukiya Amano, 62, is currently Japan's permanent representative and ambassador to the IAEA.

Abdul Minty, 69, has been South Africa's representative to the IAEA since 1995. He is also deputy director general of South Africa's Foreign Affairs Department.

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