Panama succeeded on Tuesday in getting approval of the 192-member UN General Assembly which elected the Latin-American country as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

Panama got 164 ballots of the total 190 cast in the 48th round of voting, far more than the 120 ballots of necessary two-thirds majority. It will replace Argentina on the UN Security Council from Jan. 1, 2007 with a two-year term.

Diplomats in the assembly chamber burst into long-time applause when General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa announced the results.

Panama would use its membership on the 15-member United Nations Security Council to seek peace and justice in the world, Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis Navarro told local television on Tuesday.

Panama had received universal support and this "commits us even more to keeping communication channels open, and consulting all nations when we make decisions," said Navarro.

The success of Panama ended the impasse which has been lasting for 3 weeks since Oct. 16. During the previous 47 rounds of voting, the General Assembly remained deadlocked in the contest to fill a non-permanent seat on the Council for the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Neither Guatemala nor Venezuela, the two candidates, could get enough support to secure a victory despite Guatemala leading in every round with the exception of the sixth round on the first day of voting, when the two countries were tied.

Under great outside pressure, Guatemala and Venezuela agreed on Wednesday to withdraw their candidacies simultaneously and support Panama instead.

Venezuelan Ambassador Francisco Javier Arias Cardenas told the assembly that members have clearly witnessed interventions of some big countries, clearly referring to the United States which had been lobbying for Guatemala.

Arias Cardenas said big countries have learned they cannot impose their will, adding that Panama was a good choice and served as a bridge between central and south America.

Guatemalan ambassador Jorge Skinner-Klee told the assembly that his country had carried out its campaign with dignity, saying "we regret the polarization of the campaign for reasons that did not arise from our own conduct."

Belgium, Indonesia, Italy and South Africa were elected during the first round on Oct. 16 to serve as non-permanent members on the Council. They will replace Denmark, Greece, Japan and Tanzaniawhen their terms end on Dec. 31.

The Council's five other non-permanent members, whose terms end on Dec. 31, 2007, are Congo, Ghana, Peru, Qatar and Slovakia.

The five permanent members, which are the only members with veto power when voting, are China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2006)