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Mubarak Declines to Run for Re-Election
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Feb. 1 he would not seek another
term as president in elections slated for September but that he will
complete his current term. In a televised national address, his second
since the Egyptian unrest began the previous week, Mubarak said he would
use the remainder of his term to oversee the transition of power. He
also called on the parliament to amend the Egyptian Constitution’s
Article 76 (which narrows the pool of potential presidential candidates)
and Article 77 (which allows for unlimited presidential terms). It is
currently unclear whether these measures will be considered.
The opposition immediately rejected the pronouncement. Each political
concession offered during this crisis by the Egyptian political
establishment — which until this point had ruled with absolute authority
since the 1950s — has only emboldened the opposition. Unrest is thus
likely to continue, which means the Egyptian military likely will
attempt to force Mubarak to step down before the elections. However,
even this will not likely resolve matters, as the need to create a
neutral caretaker government until elections can be held will be the
basis for further struggles between the regime and the opposition.
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