While ElBaradei, former secretary general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and possible contender in the 2011 presidential election, made a surprise visit to Al-Hussein Mosque and prayed alongside the people assembled there, Ayman Nour, founder of the Ghad Party and a candidate in the previous presidential election, performed the Friday prayer at el-Sayyid el-Badawi Mosque in Tanta, a mosque of comparable popularity to Cairo’s Al-Hussein Mosque.
Nour, who has his eyes set on the upcoming presidential election, toured Toukh, a city on the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road, before arriving in Tanta. After performing the Friday prayer at el-Sayyid el-Badawi, Nour delivered a speech and then talked with visitors outside. Nour answered questions on whether he might run in the upcoming election.
Nour said his visit comes within the framework of what he described as a door-knocking campaign, which he launched following his release from prison a year ago. The campaign involves touring Egypt’s governorates to mobilize the public in favor of political reform.
Nour said visits as such are important because they allow direct contact with the people as opposed to what he termed "elite meetings that take place behind closed doors."
"Communicating with people in the Egyptian street is what alarms the regime the most," Nour said. "People don’t care about closed conferences and seminars."
Nour then headed to Damanhour, where he toured the city and continued his door-knocking campaign.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
