|
ElBaradei free to seek presidency: Mubarak
[Al Arabiya Latest] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Thursday that former U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei was welcome to run for the presidency if he wants, but tartly dismissed any suggestion that he was a national hero.Mubarak, who has ruled for almost three decades, made the comments on a visit to Germany, during which he will undergo medical tests, the official Egyptian news agency MENA reported. ElBaradei, one of Egypt's best-known international figures after leading the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrived home last month to an exuberant reception from his supporters who want him to run for president in 2011. "If he wants to join any political party as a citizen, he can do so. We do not have any restrictions on this. If he wants to run as an independent, he is also welcome," Mubarak told a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. Analysts say election rules make it almost impossible for any candidate to stage a realistic challenge against the one nominated by Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). ElBaradei leads a coalition of opposition parties and other activists set up last week to press for political reform. He has garnered tens of thousands of supporters on Facebook and other sites backing him. Posted by: Fred 2010-03-05 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=291969 |