None of the candidates in a Security Council straw poll held in July--they hail from India, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand--are seen as real contenders. A straw poll expected later this month should feature new and prominent names. Says a senior U.N. official: "The most important countries don't seem to like the horses in the starting gate, so they'll have to roam the paddocks looking for better material."
Insiders expect Prince Zeid al-Hussein, Jordan's U.N. envoy, to declare, though handicappers note that an Arab might be viewed as insufficiently impartial, given the turmoil in the Middle East. Other possible candidates are former Malaysian Deputy P.M. Anwar Ibrahim and two contenders to be the first female Secretary-General: Singaporean Ambassador to Washington Chan Heng Chee--said to be a U.S. favorite--and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.