HAVING learnt their lesson from the past, the ruling party have wisely decided to wash their hands of Mohamed ElBaradei, if he should limp out of the presidential race next year with serious leg injuries. The ruling National Democratic Party has given a conspiratorial wink to opposition parties to wear down the ElBaradei mania after a smear campaign hysterically unleashed by pro-Government newspapers backfired. The upsetting anti-ElBaradei campaign actually drew the attention of the public to the ex-head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ��" and his post-retirement ambitions to run in the presidential elections in Egypt in 2011. In a frenzied attack on the IAEA's former chief, the pro-Government media glibly claimed that ElBaradei's presidential ambitions were unconstitutional on the grounds that he has relinquished his Egyptian nationality. ElBaradei was said to have slipped a foreign passport into his pocket to win the favour of the US and other Western countries, in order to get re-elected as the IAEA chief. The pro-Government media were exposed to ridicule when the suspected non-Egyptian stressed his Egyptian nationality and his sense of belonging to the motherland he left 40 years ago. The irony was that, weeks before the pro- Government media turned their heavy guns on the IAEA's ex-chief, the majority of Egyptian people thought that ElBaradei was an Egyptian nuclear scientist. Humble Egyptians admire him for his glittering international career, which involved his leading a team of international inspectors hunting for weapons of mass destruction in countries which aren't members of the global club of nuclear powers. Perhaps the warm reception ElBaradei received at Cairo International Airport from hundreds of his supporters was the main reason for the disgraceful zeal of the opposition parties in submitting to the order from the alpha male party (the NDP). Whether legitimate or not, ElBaradei's call for constitutional reforms, a bigger dose of democracy and more injections of economic help into the veins of poor people has undoubtedly increased the nation's awareness about the presidential elections and the qualifications candidates should have. Although there are 24 opposition parties in Egypt, they are, it must be admitted, lukewarm and even reluctant in their political participation. The countdown has begun for the presidential race next year, but the opposition remain at loss, desperate to groom one of their leaders to compete with the ruling party's candidate in 2011. Worse, many opposition parties appear unwilling to take part in the parliamentary elections later this year. To try and at least partially repair the damage to their reputation, the opposition parties have begun digging a trap for ElBaradei. The opposition parties, which are now after his scalp, have formed a movement called the 'Anti-ElBaradei Front'. In the meantime, a 'public trial' has been staged to indict ElBaradei for allegedly conspiring with the US and EU to overthrow the regime of late President Saddam Hussein. ElBaradei has been accused of fabricating and doctoring documents and reports to substantiate US allegations that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and entertained malicious thoughts for his neighbours ��" and Israel. The terrifying charges filed against ElBaradei include his alleged role in Israel inflicting massive damage on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. ElBaradei is said to have turned a blind eye when Israel used cluster bombs on Palestinian civilians. The IAEA's ex-chief has also been accused of deliberately refusing to question Israel about its stockpile of nuclear arms, during his tenure in office. Taking their anti-ElBaradei campaign seriously, the opposition parties served him with a subpoena to stand in the dock during his public trial (held last week). But, fearing for his political future and reputation, ElBaradei outmanoeuvred his rivals by flying off to Germany, trusting his neck to the German President, who hung a prestigious national decoration round it. He teased his hunters at home by announcing that he would remain at large for at least a month before returning to face them ��" perhaps more strongly and provocatively this time.
