Egypt's Mubarak to seek fifth term - UK papers
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-16 22:10

CAIRO - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will seek a fifth and last six-year term in September elections and will name a civilian vice-president if he wins, British newspapers said this week, quoting the presidential spokesman.

The spokesman, Suleiman Awad, denied on Thursday making the remarks when he met reporters for British news media this week. He had discussed reform in general terms and not "gone into any details and the statements attributed to him," a statement said.

But several British newspapers had quoted Awad as saying Mubarak, 77, would seek another term this year.

"This will be Mubarak's last term ... He wants a free, democratic and fair election. He wants to be remembered as the one who did this," the Guardian quoted him as saying.

"He will appoint a civilian vice-president to succeed him," The Times pm Wednesday quoted him as saying.

Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) wants him as its candidate in September but the president has not said in public whether he will accept.

During 23 years in office, Mubarak has never appointed a vice-president -- the post which brought both Mubarak and his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, to the presidency.

The four presidents since the monarchy was overthrown in 1952 have all come from the military. Analysts say any new president would find it hard to govern without military consent.

The man most cited as a possible vice-president is intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, another former officer.

MORE THAN ONE CANDIDATE

Egyptian officials have said Mubarak will decide what he will do after parliament passes a law on arrangements for the election.

It will be Egypt's first presidential vote with more than one candidate after a constitutional amendment in May abolished the old system of referendums on one candidate chosen by parliament, which is dominated by the NDP.

Opposition groups say conditions for fielding candidates are too restrictive and the ruling party will have unfair advantages through access to the state media.

The conditions rule out a challenge by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the largest opposition group but which the government refuses to recognize. Analysts say other potential candidates will not pose a serious challenge to Mubarak.

A source who heard Awad speak to British journalists quoted him as saying Mubarak did not necessarily expect to win by a massive margin.

In the last four presidential referendums, the government has released figures showing more than 90 percent support.

"President Mubarak would be happy to be re-elected with only 65 percent," Awad was quoted as saying.

Mubarak's 41-year-old son Gamal heads the policies secretariat in the ruling party but has repeatedly denied that he has immediate plans to seek the presidency.

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