CAIRO, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Arabi is reluctant to run for Egyptian president despite backing from two key political groups, an official said.
Egyptians are expected to have their first post-revolution election for president in May. The Muslim Brotherhood and the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces have thrown support behind the Arab League leader, sources told Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram.
An official close to Arabi, however, said he'd likely only consider a bid for president if the first post-revolution term is considered a transitional position, the newspaper reported.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who's Freedom and Justice Party leads the country's Parliament, are lobbying against former member Abdel-Moneim Aboul-Fottouh, who broke away from the group after the revolution.
SCAF has objected to the candidacy of former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa because of what al-Ahram described as his "exaggerated sense of dignity." Moussa served in former President Hosni Mubarak's administration before taking the Arab League position in 2001.
The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing said it won't put forward a candidate for president.
Candidates have until March 10 to register for the presidential contest. Elections are expected in late May.
