ElBaradei pulls out of Egyptian presidential race
By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Cairo (dpa) - Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei withdrew Saturday from the presidency race, in protest at the country's military rule - in a move that is expected to further divide activists ahead of the revolution's first anniversary.
The former head of the UN nuclear watchdog said he had made the decision because the ruling military council "chooses to continue along the old road, as if no revolution took place, and as if the regime has not fallen."
"Instead of uniting the nation through an organized political process ... (the council) has taken all decisions alone in a way that reflects confusion, and exacerbated divisions in the society while we are in dire need of solidarity," ElBaradei said in a statement.
While the army was credited for its support of the January 25 revolution, the ruling military council has since been criticized for using force against demonstrators and dragging its feet over reforms.
"I reviewed the best ways to serve the goals of the revolution amid this reality, and I found no position within the official framework, including the post of the president ," Elbaradei said.
Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in June.
The 69-year-old Nobel laureate, has been one of the country's most influential figures, and his criticisms of Mubarak in 2010 were seen as a catalyst for the revolt that ousted the president last year.
He received a hero's welcome at the airport when he returned to Egypt early 2010.
"My decision is not a withdrawal from the scene, but a continuation to serve this country more effectively, away from power and free from all restrictions," he added.
ElBaradei's decision comes just over 10 days before the first anniversary of the January 25 revolution.
His announcement has highlighted the division between activists, where some support ElBaradei and his repeated calls to write a new constitution before the parliamentary elections, while others support the timeline set up by the military council in order to hand over power to a civilians administration.
Ongoing parliamentary elections in Egypt have sparked concerns among Christians and liberals that a new legislature will likely have an Islamist bent, as supporters of conservative Muslim groups have scored well in the country's first elections after Mubarak's departure from politics.
"I ask each presidential candidate to follow ElBaradei and back the revolution until it is complete," activist Nawara Negm said on her Twitter account.
However, writer and activist Belal Fadl described ElBaradei's withdrawal from the presidential race as an "intelligent, wise decision" taken by a seasoned politician.
"If ElBaradei knew that his chances to win are huge, he would not have pulled out. This is not a revolutionary decision, it is the right political one," Fadl said.
Former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former senior figure in the influential Muslim Brotherhood group, are now the front-runners in the upcoming presidential elections.
