Safwat el-Sherif, the Shura Council speaker and secretary general for the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), said that his party wishes to see President Mubarak nominate himself for another term. In an interview with Al Arabiya satellite channel, el-Sherif disagreed with earlier statements by PM Ahmed Nazif, who stated that the regime has failed to produce a suitable alternative to Mubarak. "Our democracy offers several alternatives, but no one is equal to Mubarak. There are many however who meet candidacy requirements," he said. The Shura council speaker rejected claims that the NDP is guaranteed to succeed in the council's upcoming midterm elections, noting that the party, just like its rivals, seeks to satisfy its voters. El-Sherif claimed that the voting rate in these elections will go up, but that it remains insufficient, adding that voter turnout depends on the power of each party. El-Sherif responded to accusations by Mohamed ElBaradei, former IAEA director and a potential nominee for the Egyptian presidency, who previously said that the NDP plays the role of both an election contender and arbitrator since controls the establishment of political parties. El-Sherif dismissed these allegations as false, adding that " we approved of the establishment of Ghad party, but we have nothing to do with its internal conflicts." He further stressed that the establishment of political parties requires certain measures in order to avoid having sectarian-based parties. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
