Venezuela and Guatemala have failed to agree on an alternate candidate for Latin America's open seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Voting resumed Wednesday, with Bolivia emerging as a possible candidate for the post, but results remained inconclusive. Diplomats say negotiations are expected to resume on Thursday.
The only outstanding seat on the 2007 Council already has been put to more than three dozen votes in the General Assembly.
U.S.-backed Guatemala has prevailed over Venezuela in all but one of the votes, but failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to win the seat.
Bolivian President Evo Morales says his country is now competing for the Latin American seat. He has said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a strong critic of President Bush, told him Bolivia should run in Venezuela's place.
However, Venezuelan officials say they have not withdrawn their candidacy for the seat and that nominating Bolivia is just one option under consideration.