Mansour Hassan, a veteran Egyptian politician who headed an advisory council to the once ruling military generals, passed away on Saturday. He was 75 years old.
His son Mohamed told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Hassan passed away Saturday afternoon, adding that the time of his funeral will be decided soon.
Hassan was born in 1937 and rose to become one of former President Anwar Sadat’s top aides in the 1970s. He was one of the main figures involved in founding the National Democratic Party in 1978. Sadat appointed him minister of information and culture in 1970 and minister of state for presidential affairs in 1981.
He was the chairman of the Advisory Council of Egypt between 8 September 2011 and 8 March 2012 and was close to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Last March, he announced his intention to run in the first presidential elections after the fall of Mubarak, an announcement that was widely criticized by liberal and secular forces, due to his close ties with SCAF.
