The chairwoman of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board, Taous Feroukhi, named the date at a closed-door session on Wednesday, according to the candidates, Japanese ambassador Yukiya Amano and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa.

The two are vying to take over from the current director general Mohamed ElBaradei who is stepping down in November after 12 years in the position.

Each candidate gave a short 10-minute presentation to the board on Wednesday and then took questions from member states.

Diplomats involved in the consultations said that Amano, 61, has the lead over Minty, but is still short of the two-thirds majority required for victory.

Both have long experience in non-proliferation and disarmament positions.

While Amano is seen as the favoured candidate of the West, he is seen as lacking charisma.

Minty, on the other hand, is seen as having the support of developing countries, but is perceived as being too politically outspoken for countries, particularly the United States, diplomats said.

"Neither is really seen as the ideal candidate," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

There would initially be three rounds of voting on March 26, Minty told reporters.

"These are, if you wish, slightly informal, but act as an indicator," he said.

Once it is evident that one of the candidates has the necessary two-thirds, then the board switches to a formal vote, which could take place either on March 26 or 27.

"But if it is clear that neither has managed to get two-thirds, then the chair would have to announce a deadlock and open the slate for new nominations," Minty said.

Speaking to reporters, Amano stressed that he felt qualified for the job because Japan was the only country in the world to have experienced an atomic bomb.

"I come from a country that experienced Hiroshima and Nagasaki and I have a firm commitment to non-proliferation," he said.

Minty saw the strength of his candidacy in the fact that South Africa had experience of "first-world nuclear technology," but was "also a country of the south, that allows us to cross all barriers and work for consensus."

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