In a swift 3 January meeting Opec elected Kuwait’s Haitham al-Ghais as the group’s next Secretary General. Mr Ghais will succeed Nigeria’s Mohammad Barkindo from 1 August this year upon the conclusion of his second three-year term in office. Mr Ghais was elected unanimously through acclamation, with no other candidates put forward.
The swift process is in stark contrast to when Mr Barkindo replaced Libya’s Abdalla al-Badri in 2016 (MEES, 3 June 2016). Mr Badri held office from 2007 to 2016 long after his ‘final’ second three-year term expired in 2013, as ministers were unable to reach a consensus on a replacement. (CONTINUED - 843 WORDS)
