The UN atomic watchdog reopened the race for its new director general on Friday after neither of the two previous candidates won sufficient votes for victory. Member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency now have four weeks to nominate new candidates, with a new election expected some time in May. "The slate of candidates is considered to have been wiped clean," the chairwoman of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board, Taous Feroukhi, told reporters after a crunch vote between Yukiya Amano of Japan or Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa produced no clear winner. "Neither candidate was able to enjoy the two-thirds majority" needed, Feroukhi said. A note would therefore be officially circulated to member states next Monday, giving them 28 days to present new candidates. Japan and South Africa could, if they so chose, "re-nominate their two candidates," Feroukhi said. Minty left it open whether he would stand again.