(19 Oct 1995) Natural Sound

The Belgian parliament has been meeting in closed session to decide the future of NATO chief Willy Claes.

If legislators decide to lift Claes' parliamentary immunity against prosecution on corruption charges, he is likely to be forced to resign as Secretary-General of the military alliance.

As Claes' future hangs in the balance, speculation is mounting about a possible successor.

NATO leaders are preparing contingency plans to fill the top job at the 16-nation alliance.

Claes is accused of corruption allegations over the sale of military helicopters to Belgium when he was economy minister.

He clearly hopes the Belgian parliament will vote to maintain the immunity against prosecution he enjoys as a former government minister.

But if the vote goes against him, he would almost certainly have to resign as NATO Secretary-General.

The man viewed as most likely to replace Claes is the former Danish Foreign Minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

His popularity at home and among European leaders, and his very pro-NATO stance leave him ideally placed to succeed Claes.

Ellemann-Jensen was seen as a possible candidate last year, but was busy fighting a general election at home.

But he's now made it clear he's ready to quit domestic politics for an international post.

His most serious competitor is likely to be Hans van den Broek, the European Union's Foreign Affairs Commissioner.

The Dutchman was also in the running for the post last time round, and his track record as Europe's foreign affairs chief puts him in a strong position.

He's been heavily involved in E-U negotiations to end the conflict in Yugoslavia, a key advantage as NATO prepares for a heightened role in the area.

A second Dutch candidate is former Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers. He's an accomplished consensus builder with strong ties across Europe and the United States and has been linked to several top European jobs.

Given NATO's greater role in Bosnia, another possibility is Norwegian Thorvald Stoltenberg, the United Nation's peace broker in the region.

He was also involved in opening up talks between Israel and the P-L-O, talks which led to peace between the two enemies. But his success has not been matched in Yugoslavia, where the U-N's role has been much criticised.

Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the top NATO job.

Another name being spoken of for the job is Germany's defence minister Volker Ruhe.

He's already said he doesn't want the job. But his name may still be put forward.

Whoever leads NATO over the coming weeks will face a tough job, as the military alliance prepares for its growing role in securing peace in Bosnia.

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