Interpol to choose president from Russia, US backed candidates

Interpol is to vote for its new president Wednesday, with the US backing a South Korean candidate who Moscow says is part of a last-minute effort to scuttle a Russian frontrunner's chances.

Delegates from Interpol member nations are meeting in Dubai to replace Meng Hongwei, who went missing in his native China in September. Beijing later said Meng resigned after being charged with accepting bribes.

The vote takes place Wednesday morning with the winner expected to be announced shortly after.

The two leading candidates pit a US-backed South Korean against a Russian official who remains the favourite but has unnerved Western nations and some of Moscow's neighbours.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threw his weight behind Kim Jong-yang, currently the acting president of the global police body.

"We encourage all nations and organisations that are part of Interpol and that respect the rule of law to choose a leader with integrity. We believe Mr Kim will be just that," Pompeo told reporters.

The endorsement came as calls grew within Western nations for Interpol to reject Russian candidate Alexander Prokopchuk -- a Russian interior ministry official and current Interpol vice president -- over fears Moscow could abuse the role to target political opponents.

Critics have raised concerns over Russia's previous applications for Interpol "Red Notices", or international arrest warrants, to target those who have fallen foul of the Kremlin.

Whoever becomes president needs the backing of two-thirds of the votes and will serve out Meng's term until 2020.

Interpol's president chairs its General Assembly while day-to-day operations are handled by the organisation's Secretary general Juergen Stock.

In an open letter this week, a bipartisan group of US senators said choosing Prokopchuk would be like "putting a fox in charge of a henhouse".

"Russia routinely abuses Interpol for the purpose of settling scores and harassing political opponents, dissidents and journalists," they wrote.

Harriett Baldwin, a minister of state at the British foreign office, told parliament on Tuesday that London would support Kim's bid.

Anti-Kremlin figures have also raised concerns, including Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who has been repeatedly jailed by authorities.

"Our team has suffered from abuse of Interpol for political persecution by Russia," Navalny wrote on Twitter.

"I don't think that a president from Russia will help to reduce such violations."