United Nations, May 10, SPA -- The United Nations elected 44 of the initial 47 members of its new Human Rights Council in a first round of voting on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia was elected, receiving 126 votes out of a possible 191 votes in the U.N. General Assembly. Other Arab nations in the Asian bloc that were selected were Bahrain, with 134 votes, and Jordan, with 137 votes. Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq did not receive enough votes, and Qatar received only one vote. Arab states that won seats in the African bloc include Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Egypt received only one vote. Of the five regions, only the Eastern European group will require another round of voting to fill three out of its allocated six posts. Member states will vote later on Tuesday. “They [elected countries] reflect the will of the member states,” U.N. General Assembly President Jan Eliasson told reporters after the vote. “It is a reflection of the United Nations, of the whole body of the U.N., and I will not comment on any individual country performance but to underline … that I find it very important that all member states have made pledges and commitments that they expect to live up to.” --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/359855