| It's pure coincidence this announcement's made the same day Akaev departs... |
 President Hosni Mubarak's son tried to end public speculation about his political ambitions by declaring Wednesday that he won't run as a candidate in this fall's presidential elections. He said his father — who made the surprise announcement earlier this year to allow multi-candidate balloting — had yet to say whether he himself will run for the post again.
| Don't chance it, Hosni. Remember what happened to Ceaucescu... |
"I'm not a candidate," Gamal Mubarak said at a news conference at the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party. Gamal, 41, heads a powerful policy-making committee in the NDP. Also Wednesday, the the banned Muslim Brotherhood — Egypt's oldest and largest Islamic political group — set the stage for a confrontation with authorities by demanding more constitutional amendments and declaring its intent to demonstrate in the streets, where it is not allowed to congregate. Presidential elections are scheduled for September, with parliamentary elections due in November. |