Mona El-Nahhas reports on the political manoeuvring of the founder of the liberal Ghad Party Earlier this month, during a short visit to Fayoum, opposition leader Ayman Nour announced his intention to stand as a candidate in the 2011 presidential election. Nour vowed to continue the march towards reform regardless of the obstacles placed before him. One such hurdle is Article 25 of the penal code which bans convicted felons from practising their political rights for six years after the date of their release. In December 2005 Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Nour to a five-year jail term after he was found guilty of forging the signatures necessary to found a political party. Nour insists the case against him was groundless and aimed to undermine his political career. Last February, Nour was released on health grounds. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Nour said that he would contest the constitutionality of all articles in the penal code that prevented citizens from practising their constitutional rights. This is not the only legal card Nour intends to use. In a surprise step he asked Prosecutor- General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud to re-open the file of his forgery case, a measure which could lead to a re-trial. The prosecutor-general is obliged to reply to Nour's request within three months. Nour based his request on a recent ruling by the Administrative Court which found Nour's arrest and the search of his house to be illegal since at the time he had parliamentary immunity. Before losing his parliamentary seat in the 2005 elections Nour had served as an MP for two successive terms. Presented with new documents, the Criminal Court will either announce that it has no connection with the case or else order a re-trial. "Disconnecting itself from the case means, in legal terms, that I am innocent," says Nour. Nor does he consider it possible any retrial would result in his conviction being upheld. "That I was arrested illegally means any subsequent ruling passed against me is invalid. This is a simple legal fact which no court can disregard," Nour said. Since his release Nour has undertaken political tours covering all of Egypt's governorates as part of his "Knocking on Doors" campaign, an attempt to attract people back to the Ghad Party. Talking to people in streets, alleys and slum areas, visiting mosques, churches, clubs and coffee shops are all part of Nour's campaign. "The campaign has been a success. The public's reaction was great," Nour said, adding that membership of the Ghad Party has increased as a result. The party has been damaged by internal strife, and though Nour's supporters are now in control Ghad's recent history of internecine disputes has taken its toll in terms of popularity. Nour himself has had as choppy a ride as his party. The most recent blow was separation from his wife, Gamila Ismail, who had campaigned tirelessly for his release while he was behind bars. Her petition to divorce Nour in April came as a surprise and may have cost Nour support as public opinion appeared to side with Ismail. "I think the Nour-Ismail issue is of a minor importance," says political analyst Amr El-Shobki. Far more costly in terms of popularity, he says, is the general perception that since his release Nour has done little but seek headlines. "Instead of focussing on re-building his party and restoring its strength, Nour's main focus has been on how he can take centre stage, even if this means making statements simply for the sake of controversy," says El-Shobki. Last month, Nour asked the prosecutor-general to return him to his prison cell, claiming there was no point in being free if it meant being deprived of all his rights. Earlier this week Nour announced that he intended to visit the US in the second half of August after receiving several invitations from members of Congress. While admitting that Nour's political presence is less effective than in 2005, El-Shobki still sees him as the leading opposition figure, though he concedes that this may change if a serious competitor to Nour appears.
