President Hosni Mubarak has played down controversy over who his successor might be, saying only God could decide who would lead the Arab world's most populous nation following his 29-year rule. Uncertainty over Egypt's political future is intensifying ahead of presidential polls next year. Mubarak, who took power in 1981, has not said whether he will run for a sixth term in presidential polls next year, but recently he signalled readiness to vie for a new term. Mubarak, who underwent gallbladder surgery in Germany last March, was asked by a journalist during a press conference next to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome on Wednesday on his possible successor. "Who knows? Who knows? Only God knows who will be my successor," Mubarak said in English when he was asked who would prefer as a successor. When the reporter repeated his question, Mubarak pointed to the sky and replied:"Whoever God prefers, I prefer," reported Reuters. "That's a nice question though," he added, smiling. Opposition claims that Mubarak is grooming his son, Gamal, to take over from him. Both Mubaraks have vehemently denied such claims. Analysts say election rules make it almost impossible for any candidate to stage a realistic challenge against whoever is nominated by Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition party, is officially banned and its leaders say they do not plan to put forward any affiliated candidates for president. Rights groups routinely complain that the Egyptian Government has rigged elections in its favour and used a long-standing emergency law to cow a weak, divided opposition. During the same press conference in Rome, Mubarak said that though terrorism in Egypt was not as serious as before, there were still dormant cells. "I would not allow to happen in my country what happens in other countries," he added. Last week, the Egyptian Parliament approved the Government's demand to extend the Emergency Law by two more years until 2010. The Government has said the Emergency Law will be applied to combat terror and drug-related crimes.
