LS Pan American Union Building (O.A.S. headquarters)
0.03


CU Same
0.06


MS-2 shots Passing ballot box & receiving ballots
0.30


MS Men counting ballots
0.41


CU Hands counting ballots
0.48


LS pan O.A.S. representatives meeting
0.52


MS Man reading election results
0.57


MLS President Galo Plaza Lasso at meeting head of table
1.02


MS Same
1.12



Initials


PLEASE DO NOT CUT
PLEASE RETURN DOPE

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: After three months and six ballots the Organisation of American States finally elected Ecuadorian Galo Plaza Lasso its new Secretary General on Tuesday (February 13). The election broke a deadlock in the O.A.S. Council which has continued to meet in Washington, D.C. since November 17, 1967. Mr. Plaza, a former President of Ecuador, will take office in May.

Mr. Plaza received 16 votes -- four more than the necessary majority. The only other candidate remaining in the contest, Marcos Falcon Briceno of Venezuela, received five votes.

Sol Linowitz, the U.S. Ambassador to the O.A.S., said his country considered Mr. Plaza the best qualified candidate. Mr. Plaza has stcutly denied charges in Latin America that he was the handpicked candidate of the United States.

The new Secretary General-elect who has served Ecuador in many other diplomatic posts will succeed Jose Antonio Mora of Uruguay. The post of Secretary General provides a tax, free income of 32,000 dollars.