GENEVA, Nov 6 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti candidate for WHO director general's post Dr. Kadhem Behbehani Monday thanked the Kuwaiti leadership and his fellow citizens for the outstanding support he has received for the candidacy of the top post of the World Health Organization (WHO).

He said, in a statement to KUNA, he was grateful for the support of HH the Amir and HH the Crown Prince, the Foreign minister, the Health minister and the people of Kuwait.

Behbehani said, following the short list of candidates chosen today, that he also thanked all the member countries of the WHO Executive Board who have supported him, and expressed his hope that their support will continue throughout the election process.

Behbehani noted that if elected he hopes to honor his country in that important and distinguished international position.

Kuwaiti minister of health Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah Al Ahmed Al-Sabah, who gave his full support to Dr. Behbehani and will remain in Geneva till the end of the election process, noted that the Kuwaiti candidate was short listed at the outset of the election rounds and received 28 votes with a tie with the Spanish candidate, while the Chinese candidate received 32, the Japanese 31, and the Mexican candidate 30.

He added that this is a big shot in the arm because the candidate of Kuwait moved ahead of other well known candidates among them a Nobel award winner for medicine from France, in addition to moving ahead of candidates from Finland, Iceland and Turkey.

This, he stressed, is an important victory for Kuwait.

Kuwaiti minister of health added that during the next 48 hours each candidate of the five will present himself to the executive board members on how to manage the WHO, and on November 9 the winning candidate will be announced.

He also thanked on behalf of Kuwait the countries that have supported the candidacy of Behbehani. Libya , Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Djibouti, and the seven African countries -- members of the WHO Executive body -- as well as all the other members that have supported Kuwait's candidate.

Kuwaiti head of mission in Geneva, Ambassador Dharar Abdul-Razzak Razzooqi expressed content with the developments, and thanked the Arab as well as the African group for their support for Kuwait's candidate and expressed hope that the election process would end successfully in favor of Dr. Behbehani.

The other four candidates who were short listed today are Margaret Chan (CHINA), Julio Frenk (MEXICO), Shigerui Omi (JAPAN) and Elena Salgado Mendez (SPAIN).

The total number of candidates who presented themselves were 11 for the post of WHO Director-General. (pickup previous)

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