NDP will nominate president Mubarak for 6th term

Speaker of Egypt ’s Shura Council Safwat El-Sherif confirmed that the ruling National Democratic Party has decided to nominate the current President Hosni Mubarak for a sixth term in office.

 

In a statement to the Musawar magazine, El-Sherif relayed that the final decision however was up to the president.

 

Munir Fakhry Abdel Nour, MP and secretary general of Al-Wafd party, commented to the Daily News Egypt, the decision was no surprise and was in fact expected.

 

Several campaigns believed to be supported by the NDP have been recently launched supporting 47 year old Gamal Mubarak, the President’s son for president.

 

Such allegations however have been strongly denied and Sheriff reiterates that the ruling party has any affiliation with the pro-Gamal campaigns, arguing that the NDP had in fact condemned these campaigns in their meetings.

 

NDP Information Secretary Ali El-Din Helal commented recently in a TV interview that in the event of Mubarak refusing to nominate in the approaching election then the only possible suitable candidate would be his son Gamal confirming controversy of Mubarak’s successor.

 

Ayman Nour, president and founder of Al-Ghad Party, described the statements as misleading and conflicting statements that shed light on the conflict among the wings of the NDP.

 

The Egyptian constitution stipulates in Article 76 crippling conditions for independent candidates to run and for opposition parties to get candidates to join in the presidential race. Recently campaigns have been launched by political opposition demanding changes and constitutional amendments for political reform calling for 7 changes including changes in issues concerning elections. The Muslim Brotherhood collectively with the NAC have succeeded in collecting over 650, 000 signatures supporting the call on their respective websites.

 

Karima Al-Hifnawy, of the National Association for Change and the Kefaya opposition movement, argued that  Gamal Mubarak is considered the NDP’s back-up plan in case the president decides not to run for a new term. Since the President’s gall bladder surgery in March, controversy has surrounded the issue raising questions, where many believe that Gamal Mubarak is being groomed to walk in his father’s footsteps sparking fury among opposition groups.

 

 

 

Nabil Abdel-Fattah, researcher at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, stressed he believed that the NDP represented two groups, the “businessmen from the NDP’s influential policy committee” who support Gamal Mubarak for president and the “governing elite,” who follow the traditions and rules of the July 1952 Egyptian revolution and support Hosni Mubarak.

 

Abdel Fattah described the “governing elite” as more likely to win the feud believing they were more powerful. He alleged that the pro-Gamal initiative lacked any weight in the political arena and would not affect the public opinion.

 

Regarding the upcoming November parliamentary elections, El-Sherif stressed that there was no secret alliance or agreement with the MB indicating that it is unlikely for the Muslim Brotherhood to repeat its  win in 2005 where they acquired88 seats totaling one fifth of the parliamentary seats. The NDP plans to win all the seats he underscored.

 

The MB parliamentary bloc, spokesperson Hamdi Hassan, commented to the Daily news Newspaper on the NDP attitude stressing “The NDP ignores the people’s will and continues to forge the elections contrary to democratic countries which respect the will of their people.