CAIRO // The Arab League has chosen former Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit as its new secretary-general, after the vote was delayed for hours due to Qatari reservations.
Mr Aboul Gheit served as Egypt’s foreign minister during the final seven years of Hosni Mubarak’s rule, leaving his post in 2011, following the mass protests that toppled the authoritarian ruler.
The 22-member organisation voted unanimously late on Thursday in favour of Mr Aboul Gheit after much debate. He will replace Nabil El Araby, who served as Egypt’s foreign minister under a transitional government formed after the 2011 uprising.
Mr El Araby said last month that he would not seek another term as secretary-general after his current one ends in July.
Qatar welcomed Mubarak’s fall and supported his successor Mohammed Morsi, who was elected to the presidency in 2012 but overthrown a year later by the army after protests against his rule.
The debate over Mr El Araby’s successor follows Morocco’s announcement last month that it would not host the 2016 Arab League meeting as scheduled, saying it wanted to avoid giving a false impression of unity in the Arab world.
* Reuters
