Recent statements by ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Secretary-General Safwat al-Sherif–in which he cited "a consensus" among party leaders to nominate President Hosni Mubarak for another presidential term in elections next year–will impede the chances of the president's son, Gamal, to run for the same post, say political analysts.
Al-Sherif's remarks, they say, would not put an end to attempts within the ruling party to bequeath executive power to the younger Mubarak, although they might ignite a power struggle between his supporters and those of his aging father.
“The NDP old guard–including al-Sherif, Kamal al-Shazli and Fathi Sorour–favor another term for President Mubarak, while others–such as Ahmed Ezz and Mohamed Kamal, along with certain businessmen–want to see a Gamal presidency,” said legal expert Ibrahim Darwish, "even though Gamal lacks charisma."
George Ishac of the National Association for Change opposition movement agreed. “The conflict between the old and new generations of the party will end up harming the country's political future,” he said.
“Gamal is not acceptable to certain foreign circles,” opined legal expert Yehia al-Gamal. "Should President Mubarak vanish suddenly without selecting a successor, chaos would prevail.”
Director of the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Translation and Publishing Wahid Abdel Meguid, for his part, denied the existence of discord within the NDP regarding the future of the presidency. “The problem is that the issue is always kept hushed up, so no one has enough information to properly assess the situation,” Abdel Meguid said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
