Egypt Ruling Party Holds Annual Conference
2009-11-2 8:45
Egypt's ruling party held its annual convention in Cairo on Saturday, amid speculation over whether President Hosni Mubarak will be chosen once again as a candidate for the 2011 Presidential elections.
81-year-old Mubarak's politician son, Gamal, is widely tipped as the most likely candidate to lead Egypt once his father leaves office. Both father and son have denied any such plan.
Gamal Mubarak heads the ruling National Democratic Party’s policy committee. He addressed the conference on Sunday, while President Mubarak gave a keynote address on the same night.
Mubarak’s health is a subject of constant speculation in Egypt.
Opposition parties vow to stop Mubarak’s son from succeeding his father.
Two weeks ago an anti-succession campaign was launched by Ayman Nour, who lost to Mubarak in the 2005 presidential election.
It is too early to speculate about who the candidate in 2011 might be, but the succession process is expected to run smoothly.
[Ahmed Nazif, Egyptian Prime Minister]:
"We all hope it will be President Mubarak. I think it represents stability, it represents experience in this country, and he is very popular."
Political analysts say that rules governing the presidential race make it almost impossible for the ruling party's candidate to face a serious challenger.
Opposition politician Ayman Nour is unable to run due to his conviction of forgery charges.
However, analysts say a succession by Gamal Mubarak is not certain, partly because the president's son may not have enough influence to secure the top post.
