Two vying for top ASEAN post

Two vying for top ASEAN post

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A Filipino and Malaysian are vying to
become the next secretary-general of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia's national news agency reported
yesterday.

At their 30th annual meeting this week, the foreign ministers
of the seven ASEAN members will decide between another five-year
term for Malaysia's Ajit Singh or giving the post to Philippine
foreign affairs undersecretary Rodolfo C. Severino, Bernama said,
quoting ASEAN officials it didn't name.

Meanwhile, Ajit Singh said the ASEAN secretariat's annual
budget was estimated at US$6 million and that all members had to
share the cost equally, even though it is based in Jakarta.

The current ASEAN members are the Philippines, Malaysia,
Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam.