UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Saudi Arabia and Chad easily won coveted seats on the U.N. Security Council Thursday, despite criticism from human rights groups. Nigeria, Lithuania and Chile also won seats.

The five candidates endorsed by regional groups faced no opposition after there were no contested races for the first time in several years.

The countries were elected in the first round of voting by the 193-member General Assembly. Lithuania was the top vote-getter with 187 votes followed by Nigeria and Chile with 186 votes, Chad with 184 votes and Saudi Arabia with 176 votes.

Security Council seats are highly coveted because they give countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security, in places like Syria, Iran and North Korea, as well as the U.N.'s far-flung peacekeeping operations.

The 15-member council includes five permanent members with veto power - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms.

The five countries elected Thursday will assume their posts on Jan. 1 and serve through the end of 2015. They will replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo.

Philippe Bolopion, United Nations director for Human Rights Watch, denounced the election of Chad, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

"The prestige of a seat at the world's foremost diplomatic table should prompt the new members to get their house in order," he said.

"Chad should put an end to the recruitment of child soldiers, which earned it a spot on the U.N. list of shame," he said. "Saudi Arabia should end its crackdown on human rights activists and grant women their full rights."

Bolopion also criticized Nigeria, saying it should "end chronic abuse by security forces and better protect civilians in the north" from attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist network.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of Geneva-based human rights group UN Watch, accused Saudi Arabia of denying women the right to vote, drive a car or travel without the permission of a male relative. He also accused it of "praising and shielding Sudan" whose president, Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Neuer said Chad should not have oversight on U.N. peacekeeping operations as long it employs child soldiers.

Chad, Saudi Arabia and Lithuania have never served on the U.N.'s most powerful body while Nigeria and Chile have both been on the council four times previously.

Seats in the Security Council are allocated by region, and regional groups nominate candidates. There are often hotly contested races. In 2007, for example, a runoff between Guatemala and Venezuela went 47 rounds before Panama was finally elected as the Latin America candidate.

This year, there were initially two candidates for a West African seat but Gambia dropped out last week in favor of Nigeria.

To win, each country must obtain support of two-thirds of all General Assembly members present. Because balloting is secret, there is intense lobbying for votes by candidates, even in uncontested races, to ensure they get the minimum number needed for victory - and to see who gets the highest vote.

chinedugreat: Woooo first 2 comment al lasT
GEJ is working

brixton: Lookin fward wit a positive mind to when our dear country would have parmanent seat in UN security council. We re gradually getting there! SA watchout cos u re currently using G20 space!!!

stevnwigw1: Nigeria is dividing next year , you are here talking about permanent seat.

Elliotwiz1: hehehe. It's not actually the work of GEJ, but It's a good development for the nation. Nigeria is always the first in Africa to ensure the safety of her sister, yet We're not a member of the UN security council... Most African countries can be controled like puppets by Western and european governments, but not Nigeria, they know that That's why they would never choose Nigeria if they have to handpick.

stevnwigw1: Nigeria is dividing next year , you are here talking about permanent seat.

Elliotwiz1: The U.N. General Assembly elects five new members to the Security Council on Thursday and the winners are virtually certain because there are no contested races - Nigeria, Chad, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania and Chile.
Chad, Saudi Arabia and Lithuania have never served on the U.N.'s most powerful body while Nigeria and Chile have both been on the council four times previously.
Security Council seats are highly coveted because they give countries a strong voice in matters dealing with international peace and security, such as Syria, sanctions against Iran and North Korea and the U.N.'s far-flung peacekeeping operations.
The 15-member council includes five permanent members with veto power - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms.
Seats are allocated by region, and regional groups nominate candidates. There are often hotly contested races.
In 2007, for example, a runoff between Guatemala and Venezuela went 47 rounds before Panama was finally offered, and elected, as the Latin America candidate.
This year, there were initially two candidates for a West African seat but Gambia dropped out last week in favor of Nigeria.
To win, each country must obtain support of two-thirds of all General Assembly members present, or a minimum of 129 votes if all 193 members participate.
Because balloting is secret, there is intense lobbying for votes by candidates, even in uncontested races, to ensure they get the minimum number needed for victory.
Winners will assume their posts on Jan. 1 and serve through the end of 2015.
The five winners on Thursday will replace Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan and Togo. http://m.naij.com/news/49898.html?short

stevnwigw1: N.

stevnwigw1: Nigeria is dividing next year , you are here talking about permanent seat.

stevnwigw1: Nigeria is dividing next year , you are here talking about permanent seat.

Stallion77:


Oh really? Not actually the work of GEJ? But the negatives are his handwork abi...

Ask sincere9gerian to sell you some objectivity if you can pay for it.

dridowu: are using calculator to divide it or saw ?
@topic, i think Nigeria was able to be elected cos of its peace keeping mission in Africa, if not 4 dos yeye boko boiz wey dy spoil our name, we shd be talking of permanant member in d secruity council

Elliotwiz1: smh.... If only people know what this dividing stuff is about 80% of them won't talk about it, It's a time when you lose your loved ones, when you starve for days and see people dying because of hunger, i'm sure if you ask one of the old people in your village about the civil war, They'll tell you they don't want it to happen again, stop blabbing! The problem is our leaders not ethnic!! Even if Nigeria divides There'll still be corruption! And people will still suffer, do you dig?

Elliotwiz1: why SA? We pass them la, na to think of second world nations.... When we look to be like Nations Who're better then we will improve greatly, but if we look at people Who're not better or just slightly better, then our progress will be very slow.

Elliotwiz1: hehehe. It's not actually the work of GEJ, but It's a good development for the nation. Nigeria is always the first in Africa to ensure the safety of her sister, yet We're not a member of the UN security council... Most African countries can be controled like puppets by Western and european governments, but not Nigeria, they know that That's why they would never choose Nigeria if they have to handpick.

stevnwigw1: you think is that time only ur-people has access to nigeria weapon, each region has weapon now for ur info, i would rather die a free man than live in slavry esp. for uncircusized philistian.

taharqa: Reali?? So whose work is it then? Am all earz...

Elliotwiz1: hehehe. It's not actually the work of GEJ, but It's a good development for the nation. Nigeria is always the first in Africa to ensure the safety of her sister, yet We're not a member of the UN security council... Most African countries can be controled like puppets by Western and european governments, but not Nigeria, they know that That's why they would never choose Nigeria if they have to handpick.

Elliotwiz1: It's just like telling everyone on nairaland to vote for who will be a moderator between the both of us, then i decided to pull out and you won, the oga@dtop has nothing to do with the process, It's possible that if i had not stepped down i could have been voted into that post, same here, the contenders stepped down so only Nigeria is left and they automatically own that post.