Nobel Laureate Drops Bid for Presidency of Egypt
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
NYT
CAIRO — Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel-Prize winning diplomat who helped galvanize the demands for democracy here, said on Saturday that he was dropping his presidential bid in protest over the military’s continued hold on power nearly a year after the ouster of the strongman Hosni Mubarak.
“The former regime did not fall,” Mr. ElBaradei said in a statement, arguing that the military council that took power in the name of the revolution had instead proved to be an extension of the Mubarak government. “My conscience does not permit me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless it is within a real democratic system.”
On the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising that forced Mr. Mubarak from power, Mr. ElBaradei’s announcement may help rally support for the protests planned for that day to demand the exit of the ruling military council.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. ElBaradei is a widely admired and influential figure here, especially among liberals, and he was perhaps the only one to predict the Egyptian revolution in the weeks before its outbreak. His exit from the presidential race could also open the way for an endorsement that would strengthen the hand of another contender.
(More here.)
NYT
CAIRO — Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel-Prize winning diplomat who helped galvanize the demands for democracy here, said on Saturday that he was dropping his presidential bid in protest over the military’s continued hold on power nearly a year after the ouster of the strongman Hosni Mubarak.
“The former regime did not fall,” Mr. ElBaradei said in a statement, arguing that the military council that took power in the name of the revolution had instead proved to be an extension of the Mubarak government. “My conscience does not permit me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless it is within a real democratic system.”
On the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising that forced Mr. Mubarak from power, Mr. ElBaradei’s announcement may help rally support for the protests planned for that day to demand the exit of the ruling military council.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work as chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. ElBaradei is a widely admired and influential figure here, especially among liberals, and he was perhaps the only one to predict the Egyptian revolution in the weeks before its outbreak. His exit from the presidential race could also open the way for an endorsement that would strengthen the hand of another contender.
(More here.)
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