Official: Chile's Bachelet frontrunner for UN post

[Judi Lynn]

Official: Chile's Bachelet frontrunner for UN post
Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Writer – Fri Sep 10, 7:14 pm ET

UNITED NATIONS – Chile's former president Michelle Bachelet is the front-runner to head the new U.N. agency to promote women's equality, several U.N. officials said.

When the General Assembly voted unanimously on July 2 to put four existing U.N. bodies dealing with the advancement of women under a single umbrella with more clout, Bachelet was immediately tipped as a possible leader.

But Bachelet, who left the presidency in March after four years with sky-high popularity ratings, initially told U.N. officials she didn't want to lead the new entity, to be known as "UN Women," because she wanted to remain active in Chilean politics, the officials said.

In recent weeks, however, she apparently changed her mind and is now at the top of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's list, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks have been private.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100910/ap_on_re_us/un_un_women_s_equality