THE 29-YEAR REIGNING PRESIDENT PLEDGES HIS COMMITMENT TO FAIR ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR

Egypt's long-reigning president Hosni Mubarak announced Saturday that he is committed to fair elections next year, Al-Jazeera English reports.  The president said in his televised speech Saturday:

"I wish to reaffirm my commitment to the integrity of these elections, and I welcome every national and sincere effort that proposes a view or solutions to the issues and problems of our nation, and does not gamble with its security, stability and future. I say with sincerity and frankness that I welcome the interplay and movement in society, as long as it follows the constitution."

The opposition in Egypt is not convinced.  Former Egyptian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abdullah Al-Ashaal told AJE he is considering running for president next year, but his faith in the Egyptian electoral system is lacking:

"No regime, ever since the Pharaohs, has been elected in Egypt, so we want to push the Egyptian people to decide their own fate.

"This is a big shift, not only to reform but also to make the historic step that Egyptians should vote to choose their ruler."

Al-Ashaal said he will seek backing from an opposition party rather than run independently in an attempt to topple what he calls Mubarak's "monopolisation" of power in Egypt.  He is looking specifically at running with the Arab Socialist Party.

Al-Ashaal says he takes issue with a clause of the Egyptian constitution that restricts opposition parties' ability to field candidates to run against the incumbent president and makes it near impossible for candidates to run independently.  Al-Ashaal said the only way things will change in Egypt is for the people to mobilize for change:

"We need to get the confidence of the Egyptian citizens and be sure that his vote is the only criteria to change the situation in Egypt.

"Even if the ruling party comes back through transparent elections we will welcome that, but the problem is that the Egyptians are barred from changing anything in Egypt."

Mubarak has not indicated if he intends to run for re-election in 2011, but there is speculation he will send his son Gamal to run in his place.

Mubarak took office in 1981 following the assassination or Anwar Sadat and implemented a "state of emergency" clause that allowed him to serve as Egypt's president without facing multi-candidate elections until 2005.  Prior to that, he was re-elected by referendum in 1987, 1993, and 1999.  Despite democratizing the electoral system in 2005, he has been re-elected with ease.

Photos: Rioters (James Buck); Hosni Mubarak sign (Efouche) - Flickr

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