Érica Santana
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - This week the United Nations (UN) will choose the new military commander of its peace mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Since the death of general Urano Teixeira Bacellar, the post has been temporarily held by a general from Chile. The Brazilian government indicated two names to be vetted by the UN: generals José Elito Siqueira and Jeannot Jansen.

In an interview with the Agência Brasil, the director of the UN Information Center in Brazil, Carlos dos Santos, confirmed that the new military commander should be named no later than next week, to hasten preparations for accompanying the country's elections, which the Provisional Electoral Council has scheduled for February 7.

According to dos Santos, the UN Department of Peace Operations, together with secretary-general Kofi Annan and his advisers, is evaluating which of the two generals nominated by Brazil is best qualified to assume the command.

Last Wednesday (11), after taking part in the postmortem ceremonies to honor general Barcellar, the Brazilian vice-president and minister of Defense, José Alencar, affirmed that the two generals "are on the same level and are both capable of doing an efficient job."

Translation: David Silberstein