While Mohamed ElBaradei has yet to announce whether he will run in the 2011 presidential election, Facebook fans already see him as their favorite candidate for the presidency. Over 100,000 Facebook members have joined a group endorsing ElBaradei for presidency.
Supporters of President Hosni Mubarak are also promoting their candidate through their own Facebook groups.
One such group is named "Friends of President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak" and has 1582 members so far. Another group called "The First Association for the Nomination of President Mubarak" has 528 members. The group says its main objective is to "support the great President and hero Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s son who sacrificed for his country and shared with us our moments of happiness and sadness."
A third group, with 418 members, called "Hosni Mubarak", feature the president’s resume along with some photos on their Facebook page. Another 320-member group called "The Fans of President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak," warns against any insults on their page, saying "the group is monitored by security bodies."
Youth belonging to the ruling National Democratic Party have also set up a group called "Fans and Supporters of Gamal Mubarak." The group has 6977 members so far.
ElBaradei’s Facebook supporters include Egyptians living in the United States and Europe who have launched a group called "The Campaign for the International Promotion of ElBaradei." Group members have circulated the Facebook page along with other blogs and websites to Egyptians living abroad, urging them to support ElBaradei’s nomination.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
