Reform campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei is scheduled to deliver the opening address at the 6 April protest movement's third annual conference, according to a source from within the movement. The same source said that the conference--to be held under the slogan "From the Egyptian occupied territories"--will coincide with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP)'s annual conference slated for 25 to 27 December. While the venue for the 6 April conference has yet to be determined, according to the source, it will most likely be held at the Cairo headquarters of the opposition Democratic Front Party. Movement founder Ahmed Maher told Al-Masry Al-Youm that this year's conference would focus on "exposing the NDP's lies regarding its so-called achievements" and addressing the issues of electoral fraud in recently held parliamentary polls, the opposition's proposed "shadow parliament" and a controversial law on political rights, which regulates Egypt's elelctoral system. During the event, the group plans to launch an awareness campaigned dubbed "How to bring change to Egypt," said Maher, which will aim to raise awareness among both activists and citizens on how to foster genuine political reform in Egypt. Maher noted that the movement had invited a number of prominent political figures, including Civil Engineer Mamdouh Hamza; Ayman Nour, head of the liberal Ghad Party; media personality Hamdi Kandil; opposition journalist Ibrahim Eissa; Essam al-Erian, head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political bureau; and ElBaradei, former UN nuclear watchdog chief and until recently touted as a possible independent presidential candidate. According to Maher, the movement will set a new precedent at this year's conference by presenting awards for "worst political party," "worst political figure," and "worst newspaper." Nominees, he said, would be invited to attend the event to accept their awards. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
