MENA House: "The Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak"

The streets of Cairo have been covered with posters of the face of Gamal Mubarak and the slogan "Gamal Mubarak...Gamal Masr" ("Gamal Mubarak, 'The beauty' of Egypt")

The aim of the newly-formed Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak is to promote and mobilise support for Mubarak in the upcoming Presidential elections in 2011 and to  encourage him to stand.

The co-ordinator of the group, Magdi al Kurdi, claims that it has numerous supporters from a wide variety of backgrounds. He has asserted that there are already 4000 participants and that there is backing from well-established individuals from different political parties. (Magdi al Kurdi resigned from the leftist Tagammu party to support Mubarak.)

MENA House: Music and the Egyptian Revolution

However, whilst there is much talk of Gamal's situation, the son of current President Hosni Mubarak has reiterated on numerous occasions that he does not want to run for the presidency. In a rare interview, with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Gamal answered, "Would you run for the Presidency in Egypt in the upcoming 2011 elections?" with an articulate, resounding, and convincing "No!".

So what is the point of this new group? Asked what would happen if  Gamal refused to put himself forward in 2011, El Kurdi responded that the organisation would continue to encourage Mubarak to rethink his position.

On a side note: Ali el Deen el Helal, Youth Minister and member of the National Democratic Party, has stated openly in the People's Assembly that it is "rude" to be discussing an era after Hosni Mubarak:

1) Egypt is still 16 months from the elections.

2) Discussion is impolite until Hosni Mubarak releases an official statement that he will not be running in the election.

3) Should Mubarak step down, there is no reason to worry "Egypt will find many more intelligent potential candidates".

One wonders if Ali el Deen el Helal thinks the Popular Coalition to Support Gamal Mubarak is rude and impolite in its loud consideration of Egypt's future. And perhaps one wonders what the leader of that coalition, el Helal, makes of the activities of his fellow members of the People's Assembly.

Comments

[Catherine]

Christina,
What happens if Mubarak Sr dies in the next couple of months? Could Mubarak Jr.be asked to become an interim president until the elections?

[Catherine]

Police accused of beating Khaled Saied to death appear in court
Two police officers accused of unlawful arrest and excessive force in the death of 28-year-old blogger Khaled Saied last month had their first court hearing on Tuesday in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/07/egypt-trial-for-cops-accused-of-torture-commences.html" rel="nofollow">http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2...

[cbaghdady@hotmail.com]

Yes there's been alot of commotion regarding Khaled Said's case. The question is: Why did they not bring the police officers to justice immediately after the crime was committed? Is it just bureacracy?

[Catherine]

Christina,
I think we all know it's not just a question of bureaucracy. As the article says,it is rare in Egypt for police officers to be brought to trial, and rarer still for them to be convicted of crimes.