Fijian diplomat elected president of U.N. General Assembly

Peter Thomson, Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations speaks at a news conference after being elected as U.N. General Assembly President for the 71st session at U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., June 13, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The ambassador of the tiny Pacific Island nation of Fiji on Monday won a rare election for the post of president of the United Nations General Assembly, a position that has been the focus of a corruption scandal in the United States.

Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji narrowly defeated Andreas Mavroyiannis of Cyprus with 94 votes compared to Mavroyiannis' 90 votes. The post is a largely ceremonial one, though it has a high profile and important procedural functions.