Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel-Prize winning diplomat who helped galvanize the demands for democracy here, said on Saturday that he was dropping his presidential bid in protest over the military’s continued hold on power nearly a year after the ouster of the strongman Hosni Mubarak.
“The former regime did not fall,” Mr. ElBaradei said in a statement, arguing that the military council that took power in the name of the revolution had instead proved to be an extension of the Mubarak government. “My conscience does not permit me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless it is within a real democratic system.”
On the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising that forced Mr. Mubarak from power, Mr. ElBaradei’s announcement may help rally support for the protests planned for that day to demand the exit of the ruling military council.
Awarded the Nobel peace prize for his work as chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. ElBaradei is a widely admired and influential figure here, especially among liberals, and he was perhaps the only one to predict the Egyptian revolution in the weeks before its outbreak. His exit from the presidential race could also open the way for an endorsement that would strengthen the hand of another contender.
In practical terms, Mr. ElBaradei’s decision to drop out of the race was also a bow to the long odds he faced. Polls showed that many Egyptians harbored doubts about him. The years he spent in Western capitals as an international diplomat raised questions about his authenticity as an Egyptian, and he continued to travel extensively even after his return to Egypt.
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2 Responses
“the Nobel-Prize winning diplomat who helped galvanize the demands for democracy here…”
O they know good and well that’s not true. He had nothing to do with the initiation of the protests, he just stepped in afterwords and took over the show. He’s the furthest thing from democracy…
NY Times thinks evveryone is stupid.
Yeah, more like “the former IAEA head who was shown to have been misleading the world for years over Iran’s nuclear project as soon as his position was taken over by his successor” (and who STILL hasn’t been held to any account for it!)
‘Galvanised demands for democracy’ my ****, more like ‘attempted to turn the revolution to his own personal advantage after flying in from Vienna as Mubarak was being stabbed in the back by Obama’