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