An indirect Secretary-General election was held in October 2016 to choose the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, who will succeed Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2017. Candidates from the five permanent members of the Security Council were not considered for the role. In a series of straw polls in the Security Council, António Guterres of Portugal emerged as the presumptive nominee, having 13 'encourage' votes, 2 abstentions and no 'discourage' vote in the sixth round on 5 October. On 6 October, the Security Council recommended Guterres to the General Assembly, which formally selected him by acclamation on 13 October.