Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres remained the top candidate for the position of UN secretary general after the UN Security Council's second round of secret straw polls, UN diplomats said on Friday.But unlike the first round, Antonio Guterres got two "discourage" votes, leaving the contest in play.

Two diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because Friday's vote was secret, told AP that Serbia's former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic moved up from third to second place followed by Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra who jumped from eighth place to third place.The DPA said Former Slovenian president Danilo Turk and Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, the current director general of UNESCO, each received seven approving votes. Bokova got seven discouraging votes, while Turk received five.The secretary-general is chosen by the 193-member General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Ban's second five-year term as U.N. chief ends on Dec. 31.