UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova could possibly win the race to become the next United Nations Secretary General, British futurist Felix Dodds has argued.

Bokova will be "the only Eastern Europe woman in the fourth straw poll," in his words.

On his blog, he has posted an analysis of the ongoing straw polls at the United Nations Security Council and their results.

Together with Serbian ex-Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremi?, Bokova came third in the last vote earlier this week, after former Portuguese Prime Minister Ant?nio Guterres and former Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Laj??k.

Dodds, however, rules out a win by Guterres based on calls from some countries for the next UN chief to be a woman and from Eastern Europe.

Guterres "fails the regional test of being from Portugal and the gender hope that governments would choose a woman. I think the Russians will once the veto’s come in be prepared to veto Antonio. He clearly is a very good candidate but from the wrong region and sex."

"The west I think do not want to see Vuk Jeremi? and so would use their veto’s there. That leaves us with an interesting picture Miroslav Laj??k and Irina Bokova must be the two favorites at this point in the process."