Cairo (Earth Times) - Egyptian security officials warned Wednesday against any illegal gatherings to welcome former UN nuclear agency head and possible future presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei. ElBaradei, who is expected to arrive in the country on Friday, said last year he would not rule out running for the country's presidential elections.
ElBaradei, who stepped down as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief last year, said he could run in the elections only if Egypt amended its constitution to allow independents to run for president and to allow for greater oversight of the polls.
These comments were heavily criticized in the pro-government press, which backs President Hosny Mubarak.
However ElBaradei's hint was welcomed by many Egyptians.
Some opposition groups have announced they would support his candidacy - and called on the public to give a warm reception for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate when he arrives in Egypt.
"We expect many people receiving ElBaradei, whether supporters or opposition. This is why we warn that any violations of the laws or damage to the airport's facilities, will be met with severe measures amid the high security presence," said the anonymous security sources.
In Egypt, large public gatherings are illegal and can be broken up by police according to the emergency laws.
Supporters of ElBaradei have used the internet to form several social networking websites campaigning for his candidacy in the 2011 elections. A Facebook group has 60,000 members.
Meanwhile, two activists from the April 6 youth opposition group were detained after they spray-painted walls in Cairo with slogans backing political change and supporting ElBaradei.
A security source said that two men were arrested for writing anti-government graffiti...
ElBaradei, who stepped down as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief last year, said he could run in the elections only if Egypt amended its constitution to allow independents to run for president and to allow for greater oversight of the polls.
These comments were heavily criticized in the pro-government press, which backs President Hosny Mubarak.
However ElBaradei's hint was welcomed by many Egyptians.
Some opposition groups have announced they would support his candidacy - and called on the public to give a warm reception for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate when he arrives in Egypt.
"We expect many people receiving ElBaradei, whether supporters or opposition. This is why we warn that any violations of the laws or damage to the airport's facilities, will be met with severe measures amid the high security presence," said the anonymous security sources.
In Egypt, large public gatherings are illegal and can be broken up by police according to the emergency laws.
Supporters of ElBaradei have used the internet to form several social networking websites campaigning for his candidacy in the 2011 elections. A Facebook group has 60,000 members.
Meanwhile, two activists from the April 6 youth opposition group were detained after they spray-painted walls in Cairo with slogans backing political change and supporting ElBaradei.
A security source said that two men were arrested for writing anti-government graffiti...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.