ElBaradei drops Egyptian presidential bid

By Colin Freeman 

 

 

 

The ex-head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog pulled out of the race on Saturday, accusing the country’s interim military rulers of failing to create the conditions for a free and fair contest.

 

“My conscience does not allow me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless there is real democracy,” Mr ElBaradei said.

 

Referring to last year’s protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, he added that “the captains of the vessel ... are still treading old waters, as if the revolution did not take place.”

 

Mr ElBaradei’s decision to withdraw from the contest is yet another blow to the credibility of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has been accused of numerous human rights violations since Mr Mubarak stepped down.

 

But it will also rob the presidential contest of one of its few experienced international figures, adding to fears that Egypt’spost-Mubarak political landscape will be dominated by Islamists. The Muslim Brotherhood, which has already gained results of up to 40 per cent in early rounds of parliamentary polls that began in November, is now entertaining hopes of gaining an all-out majority in the final rounds in coming weeks.

 

 

Mr ElBaradei praised the revolutionary youths who led the popular uprisings against Mr Mubarak last spring, but said “the former regime did not fall.”

 

And he denounced the “repressive” policies of Egypt’s military rulers, whom he said were putting “revolutionaries on trial in military court instead of protecting them and punishing those who killed their friends.”

 

The military government insists that it wants to cede full powers to civilian rule once a president is elected by the end of June. But there is widespread belief among ordinary Egyptains that it will try to maintain a political role in the Egypt’s future.

 

The country saw deadly clashes between democracy protesters and regime forces in October, November and December - scenes that critics say shows the military has much the same authoritarian instincts as Mr Mubarak.

 

The former president is currently on trial, with state prosecutors calling for him to be hanged for the killing of hundreds of demonstrators in January and February of last year. Telegraph