May 16, 2011 | Posted by admin


Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby. (AP)

CAIRO: After a last minute change of candidates, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby was elected the new secretary-general of the Arab League.

The 22-member organization chose Elaraby to replace Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister who has said he will run for the office of president in Egypt. Moussa, who is 73, has held the post for a decade.

The choice for head of the Arab League traditionally is agreed in advance, but this year, Egypt and Qatar both put candidates forward.

Egypt had nominated a member of the party of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in February in a popular uprising. On Sunday, it substituted Elaraby, 76, a popular diplomat who backed the uprising that ousted Mubarak’s regime.

After the change of candidates was disclosed, Qatar withdrew its candidate, effectively giving the job to Elaraby.

Qatar’s foreign minister, Hamad bin Jassim, said Egypt’s choice of Elaraby “encouraged” his country to withdraw its nominee, diplomat Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah.

“We had agreement in appreciation of Egypt and the revolution of Jan. 25 (so) Qatar withdrew its candidate,” he told the Arab League meeting. “This is the right choice, which encouraged us to support it.”

Elaraby told the session that he came to the meeting without a prepared speech, saying he wasn’t expecting to be nominated or elected. He thanked Qatar for agreeing to withdraw its candidate.

Egypt’s original candidate was Mustafa El-Fiki, a member of Mubarak’s ruling party who resigned after the popular uprising against the government began on Jan.25. Reform activists had opposed his nomination.

Arab diplomats were divided over El-Fiki’s nomination, with some pointing out that he never held a senior diplomatic position. Scores protested outside the League office against El-Fiki. The crowd cheered when the media reported that El-Fiki was out as Egypt’s candidate.

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