WASHINGTON, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The US government said Saturday that it respects the withdrawal of Former Salvadoran President Francisco Flores from nomination to lead the Organization of American States (OAS).

    US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the US government respects the decision by Flores and the government of El Salvador to withdraw his nomination for the office of Secretary General of the OAS.

    Boucher added that the United States has the "highest respect" for remaining candidates from Mexico and Chile.

    On Friday, Flores declared that he would withdraw from the racefor OAS secretary-general.

    At a news conference in San Salvador, the Salvadoran capital, Flores said that he was leaving the race "in the face of a dangerous situation where, instead of uniting the (Americas) region, it turned out we have divided it."

    The post of OAS secretary-general was vacated by former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who resigned last October due to a corruption scandal.

    Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez, Chilean Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza and US-backed Flores had campaigned heavily for the job.

    Flores said that "one candidate is running with the support of the Southern Cone and two others are fighting over the same region," referring to Insulza's perceived popularity in South America andhis own scramble for votes with Derbez in Central America.

    Flores' withdrawal means that, for the first time, Washington's choice of candidates will not win the election for OAS secretary-general. Enditem