MANSOURA - Former UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei took his campaign outside Cairo as he met with supporters in the northern city of Mansoura on Friday. A crowd of about 150 people cheered ElBaradei after he finished Friday prayers in the al-Nour mosque, singing the national anthem and waving flags. Supporters also chanted slogans such as "Change", "Raise your voice", "Long live Egypt, long live ElBaradei" and "Mansoura is with you." "I came to show the government that we are not moving a step backward," Omar Saleh, 23, told the German Press Agency dpa. President Hosni Mubarak has been in power for nearly 30 years. Last year, ElBaradei said he would consider running for the presidency only if a fair vote is guaranteed. His announcement was welcomed by opposition and youth activists, who started campaigning for him online. When the Nobel Peace Prize winner had previously returned to Egypt for a brief visit in February, more than 1,000 supporters welcomed him at the airport. Adel al-Ganayni, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said he joined the crowds on Friday to express his support for ElBaradei. The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, has not declared its support for ElBaradei. Hassan al-Fotouh, 30, said he would rather like to see the Brotherhood take power and does not support ElBaradei. "If the Brotherhood got into power, that would be the best thing because ElBaradei is with the United States," he told dpa. Since his return to Egypt in March, ElBaradei has been meeting with politicians, activists, celebrities and religious leaders in hopes of pressuring thegovernment to pass political reforms. Mubarak said last month that ElBaradei was welcome to stand in presidential elections - as long as he respected the constitution. "We don't need new heroes," Mubarak said. "If (ElBaradei) wants to join a party, he can choose any party. If he wants to (be a) candidate via a party, he can go ahead. We just have a constitution which needs to be respected." One man from Mansoura was surprised by ElBaradei's visit on Friday and went to cheer him on. He also signed the petition.
