Egypt's Democratic Front opposition party has announced its total support for Mohamed Elbaradei, former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency and potential candidate in next year's presidential elections. Following a meeting at ElBaradei's personal residence on Monday, Democratic Front party chief Osama el-Ghazali Harb said his party and ElBaradei's Front for Change--a coalition of political activists and opposition figures--shared the same objectives. "We're the first opposition party to meet with ElBaradei," he said. "We believe he has every right to run in upcoming presidential elections." On ElBardei's position vis-a-vis the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition force, Harb said ElBaradei told him that, while he differed with the group's ideology, "he also recognizes the brotherhood's political clout." "ElBaradei didn't criticize Egyptian political parties," Harb hastened to add. "This was only attributed to him by those who want to tarnish his reputation." "I believe ElBaradei knows exactly what he's doing," he concluded. "And I fully support his views." Translated from the Arabic Edition.
