Ali Eddin Helal, media secretary for the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), has denied any links between the NDP and the popular coalition to support Gamal Mubarak, the president's son. "[The campaign] is an initiative from a group of youth. It doesn't represent the NDP's vision in fielding a presidential candidate,” said Helal. He added that the party's decision to support a presidential candidate still depends on whether President Hosni Mubarak will stand for election or not. Such campaigns are not new, Helal told Al-Masry Al-Youm. Many similar groups have proposed other candidates for presidency, such as Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, and ex-chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei. Magdi el-Kurdi, the general coordinator of the campaign, also confirmed that the coalition has no connection to the NDP, adding that NDP members are not allowed to join the coalition so as not to compromise the group's independence. “We support Gamal Mubarak and will call on him to stand for election over any other candidate, even President Hosni Mubarak himself,” said el-Kurdi in response to Helal's statements. El-Kurdi called on the president not to run for another term and to give his son a chance in free and fair elections. The new coalition has been fiercely attacked by participants at a National Association for Change (NAC) meeting in Fayoum last Friday, including Former Ghad Party chief Ayman Nour, as well as NAC leaders George Ishaq and Ammar Ali Hassan. Meanwhile, Hassan Nafaa, coordinator of the NAC, has predicted that an attempted power transfer from father to son would fail, but warned that sudden changes in Mubarak's health could bolster the son's chances. “Businessmen are the most keen supporters of Gamal in order to protect their interests. But the real danger is posed by early elections if president falls ill. In that case, Gamal's name will rise, and he will win the presidency while his father is still alive,” said Nafaa at an NAC seminar in Beheira. Meanwhile, Nafaa also said that no foreign assistance is necessary for Egyptians to achieve their demands for change. “The US is trying to blackmail Egypt behind the veil of reform. But the fact is that the establishment of democracy in Egypt stands against US interests,” Nafaa argued. “We do not accept American intervention in Egypt's affairs." Nafaa noted that international supervision over elections would not constitute an infringement on the country's sovereignty, especially as Egypt itself has participated in overseeing elections in other states. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
