CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday promoted his son Gamal to a more senior role in the ruling party in what analysts and opposition politicians saw as a step to position him for the presidency. Mubarak appointed Gamal, already one of the most influential figures in the National Democratic Party (NDP), to one of three assistant secretary general positions as part of a reshuffle. He also kept the policy secretary post he has held since 2002. Gamal, 42, last month said he had no desire to be a candidate for the presidency, held by his 77-year-old father since 1981. But his rise in the NDP and the absence of other obvious candidates for the job have fuelled speculation that he could be a candidate. Mubarak has not appointed a vice president, the position from which both he and his predecessor took office. It s an attempt by the NDP to enable Gamal Mubarak to get ready for higher office, then candidacy for the presidency of the republic, said Mohamed Habib, deputy leader of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. When the time comes for candidacy, he will not spare any effort or hesitate to stand, said Habib, whose group is Egypt s strongest opposition force. Gamal, a former investment banker, has led efforts to reform the NDP, which for the last three decades has acted as the political wing of the executive and dominated parliament. He was also the guiding force behind Mubarak s campaign to extend his rule in Egypt s first multi-candidate presidential elections last year. Opposition politicians say the system governing the multi-candidate presidential elections was designed to give legitimate cover for a power transfer to Gamal. Tough terms on candidacy mean it would be very difficult for anyone to challenge an NDP presidential candidate in any election held before the end of the current term in 2011, in the event of Mubarak stepping down or if he were to die in office. The purpose of the promotion could be either the need to bring a fresh look, or to prepare Gamal for a possible nomination for presidential elections at any time, said political analyst Mohamed El-Sayed Said. He d look like the natural nominee for presidential elections, he added. His candidacy would break the mould because all of Egypt s presidents since a 1952 coup have been drawn from the military. Analysts say any civilian candidate for the presidency would need to win military backing to hold power. Ahmed Ezz, a steel magnate and close associate of Gamal, was also appointed to the NDP secretariat in the reshuffle. But long-standing NDP member Kamal El-Shazli, who had been assistant secretary-general, was not named in the reworked leadership. -Reuters
