Egypt made an official declaration on Monday nominating Mostafa al-Fiqqi, a former diplomat known for writings on Arab nationalism, as Arab League secretary general. Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil al-Arabi voiced confidence in al-Fiqqi's ability to fill the post because of his previous experiences as assistant foreign minister for Arab affairs, Arab League delegate, and deputy chairman of the Arab Parliament. Current Secretary General Amr Moussa's term ends on 15 May. Observers believe Egypt hopes its nominee will succeed because of his relationships with Arab officials and his former position at the Arab Parliament. However, others consider al-Fiqqi to be an incarnation of ousted President Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party. The 66-year-old former diplomat worked as Mubarak's information secretary from 1985 to 1992. He also chaired the Arab Affairs Committee in the dissolved Shura Council, Egypt's upper house of parliament. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, monitors reported that al-Fiqqi won his seat in the Nile delta city of Damanhour by fraud. On 5 February, al-Fiqqi resigned from the former ruling National Democratic Party, only a week before Mubarak was ousted after 18 days of revolutionary protests in Egypt. Last week, diplomatic sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that al-Fiqqi's nomination had been welcomed by both Syria and Saudi Arabia. Jordan's foreign ministry also gave signs of approval. Egyptians have traditionally dominated the post since the League was established in 1945, except for the period when Egypt was expelled for signing a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The League's charter, however, does not stipulate that its secretary general should be Egyptian. On Tuesday, Qatar offered its own nominee, diplomat Abdul Rahman al-Attiya. Some diplomats said he will find it difficult to secure a consensus vote among member states.
