A GROUP of Egyptian intellectuals have announced their support for a reform campagin spearheaded by former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei, whom they described as a "respectable figure" with a historic opportunity to introduce national local democratic change. "We announce our full support for the initiative launched by ElBaradei to reform our country. This initiative, which starts with amending the Constitution, should not stop at this point," a statement from the intellectuals' group said. The statement released yesterday added that they urged all political factions in Egypt to join hands with ElBaradei, who has a "historic chance to unify them and persuade the Egyptian people to take part in the process of political change". Among those signing the statement are writers Ibrahim Aslan, Snaallah Ibrahim, Bahaa Taher, Suleiman Fayyad, Alaa el-Aswani, Ali Badrakhan, Ammar Ali Hassan, Zaki Fatin Abdel Wahab and Gamila Ismail. The group comprises writers, artists, journalists and scientists. "Egypt has come to an unprecedented case of deterioration in all fields. This has made the need for change extremely urgent," said the statement. ElBaradei, 67, has said he is willing to stand against President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 on condition that the election is free and fair and that the Constitution is revised to ease candidacy restrictions. The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner had begun visits to Egypt's governorates to get the people's backing for his campaign. Current laws make it virtually impossible for ElBaradei to run for president, though he has hinted he would do so if those laws were changed. He has focused instead on advocating for reform of Egypt's political system. But most of ElBaradei's support comes from the thin upper crust of Egyptian society. So now that the dust has settled, he and his coalition partners face the difficult task of trying to get ordinary Egyptians to join them in demanding democratic change.
