IAEA/DG: ELBARADEI (FOR NOW) WILL NOT SEEK A NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000488

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR P,T, IO, ISN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2018
TAGS: AORC IAEA KNNP ENRG TRGY
SUBJECT: IAEA/DG: ELBARADEI (FOR NOW) WILL NOT SEEK A NEW
TERM

Classified By: Ambassador Gregory L. Schulte for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (U) According to an official memorandum circulated by the
Chairman of the Board of Governors on the Appointment of the
Director General (GOV/2008/44) and posted on September 5,
IAEA Director General ElBaradei will not/not seek a further
term of office upon the expiration of his current term on
November 30, 2009. Mission confirmed this notification with
the Secretariat of the Policy-Making Organs.


2. (U) The memorandum sets forth the existing procedures for
the appointment of the next Director General promulgated in
September 1997. The pro forma Board session following the
IAEA General Conference on October 6 will be asked to decide
on December 31, 2008 as the deadline for nominations and to
authorize the Board Chairman to circulate the procedures for
appointment of the next Director General to member states.
The procedures note the intention of the Board to appoint the
next Director General by June (2009) at the latest, for the
approval of the following General Conference. Nomination and
balloting procedures are also set forth (full text available
on govatom and emailed to Department.)


3. (C) Comment: While it was widely speculated that
ElBaradei would not seek a fourth term, this makes it
official. ElBaradei was expected to make an announcement at
the October Board meeting, but has apparently opted to end
the suspense. The DG acknowledged to Ambassador Schulte that
a month of leave with his wife at their new summer house in
the south of France helped in this regard. Thus far, Japanese
Governor Amano and South African Governor Minty have already
declared their candidacies for Director General and Mission
has responded to dipnotes from Japan and South Africa in a
noncommittal manner. Following the December 31 deadline for
nominations, the Board is likely to proceed with voting in
early 2009 with this issue expected to dominate Board
discussions in the ensuing months. It should be noted that
if the Board is deadlocked with no candidate commanding the
necessary two-thirds majority, the original slate of
candidates will be wiped clean and new nominations sought.
This possibility could leave the door open for ElBaradei to
reenter the race at a later juncture as a "compromise"
candidate "drafted" to serve for a fourth term.

4.(C) Ambassador Schulte met with the Director General
immediately after this announcement on September 5, as part
of a pre-scheduled meeting on Iran and Syria (septel),and
reiterated our respect for his service, even when we did not
agree.
SCHULTE