Egypt's ruling party appointed President Hosni Mubarak's son to an important new committee Saturday in a move seen as further paving the way for the younger Mubarak to succeed his father. Gamal Mubarak has risen dramatically in the ranks of the party since the National Democratic Party's last convention in 2002 and is now number two in the party and head of the powerful policy making committee.Three years ago, there were angry protests against his succession. Recently, demonstrations have waned, but talk of succession picked up over the summer following rumors that Mubarak was ill. Traditionally, the presidential candidate had to be head of the party's political bureau. But in the spring, the constitution was changed to require only that the candidate be chosen from the members of a new structure called the Supreme Committee. Saturday's measure, passed during the opening day of the party's general convention, elected Gamal to that committee, which has 50 members. The move is seen as a more discreet way of setting him up as a presidential candidate than appointing him to the party's political bureau.