Aswan— The opposition movement Kefaya will Mohamed ElBaradei at the airport in mid-January, when the possible presidential candidate and former International Atomic Energy Agency head arrives in Cairo, according to Kefaya General Coordinator George Isaac.
Isaac declared on Sunday at a press conference held at the Lawyers Syndicate in Aswan that the opposition group supports ElBaradei as a presidential candidate. ElBaradei has said he might run for president if there are guarantees that the election is fair.
At the conference Isaac called for international observation of the elections, as well as amendments to Articles 76, 77, and 78 of the constitution, which stipulate conditions for eligibility in presidential elections. These are two of the conditions that ElBaradei has suggested are requisites for his participation in an election.
Isaac also demanded that voters be required to register using ID numbers, which he says would provide legal guarantees at polling locations. The Kefaya leader also said that elections results should be declared immediately.
Mohamed el-Khodeiry, vice president of the Court of Cassation, said that international observation of elections is common in many countries in the world, noting that 180 states have requested United Nations oversight of elections.
El-Khodeiry rejected arguments that international observation is an attempt to acquire foreign backing or is an infringement on state sovereignty. The judge cited elections in the United States, which witnessed similar oversight. El-Khodeiry said that the assistant American ambassador in Egypt told him that the Egyptian government rejects elections oversight and considers it interference in national affairs.
"We are not against ElBaradei’s nomination, but we are not here to nominate him too, and if he wants to run for elections, he has to join the people in the street, and then we will be ready to back him. Nomination will not come on a silver platter," El-Khodeiry said.
The judge suggested that committees of young people oversee polling in their neighborhoods in order to prevent fraud.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
