15 - 21 February 2001
Issue No.521
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 15 - 21 February 2001 Issue No.521 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Arab leadership
SPECULATION about who is to be the Arab League's next secretary-general could end early next week when President Hosni Mubarak declares the name of Egypt's candidate to the post that has been occupied for the past decade by former Foreign Minister Esmat Abdel-Meguid, Dina Ezzat reports.
"Egypt will make its nomination with a view to the future of inter-Arab relations, which are entering a new phase as Arab foreign ministers meet on a monthly basis and the Arab summit convenes on a yearly basis," commented Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, who categorically refused to mention the names of probable candidates. He added that Cairo feels it is necessary to activate the Arab League's role in view of the many challenges now facing the region.
Abdel-Meguid's current five-year term -- his second since 1991 -- ends in June. If Cairo decides to accommodate the increasing concern of several Arab nations that the 56-year-old organisation needs a new leader, highly informed sources say it will have to come up with "a strong candidate capable of securing the approval of all the Arab capitals."
At the time the Weekly went to press, the league's secretariat had not received official nominations from any of its 22 member states. Yemen, however, had suggested it wanted to nominate a former Yemeni prime minister.
According to Arab League sources, other Arab capitals have expressed interest in challenging Egypt's monopoly of this post. "There is nothing in the Charter of the Arab League that says the secretary-general has to be a national of the country that hosts the league's headquarters, but this is an established rule. When headquarters were removed to Tunis during the years that Egypt was excluded from the organisation, the secretary-general was Tunisian," a league source commented.
It is still possible that Egypt will seek a limited two-year renewal for Abdel-Meguid, who has told close aides that he is willing to carry on his role if asked to. But league sources said this "was a very slim possibility." According to one: "This matter has been taken up with several Arab leaders, but it does not seem easy to secure sufficient support for Abdel-Meguid's stay."
According to the Charter, two thirds of the member states must approve a candidate's nomination for him to get the job, "but Egypt would not want a candidate with this limited support," the source added. "It would want a candidate with widespread backing and popularity."
Speaking to reporters yesterday afternoon, Moussa denied that a potential battle over nominations was brewing among the members. Improvements in Arab relations will allow for a choice that has the support of all the member states, he noted.
Informed sources at the league told the Weekly that key Arab countries have refused potential Egyptian candidates who do not have a diplomatic background.
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