Ex-IAEA chief and 2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei pulled out of the race for the Egyptian presidency due to dissatisfaction with the current military rule.
He said that the decision to end presidential run came amid “awful transitional period.” He criticized the transitional authorities for being too slow with political reforms, saying they had enough time to draft a constitution and lay down election laws allowing to choose a truly representative government.
“The media remains the instrument within the hands of rulers, the court system must be reformed… Under present circumstances, I refuse to run either for presidency or for any other public office,” he said. “I have always been sincere and sought real changes, not titles.”
ElBaradei, one of Egypt’s most influential politicians and a frontrunner of the future presidential race, said he would focus on work with youth activists instead, but will keep away from “any official system.”
"I will continue to work with the youth beyond any official framework, together we would seek to speed up the changes,” he said. “The youth should organize a party, a movement or a coalition and get ready to run the country in the future.”
He said that he would also seek to provide all Egyptians with decent food, medical care and education.
Egypt is to hold presidential elections until July 2012. After the election, the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces is to hand over power to democratically elected leaders.
