By Joseph Mayton
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: When Mohamed ElBaradei made his triumphant return to Egypt for good in early 2010, hundreds of supporters met him at the airport here in Cairo, believing in the former IAEA chief as the savior for Egypt’s stumbling opposition against then-President Hosni Mubarak. He was the man.
On Saturday, the man once tipped as the only viable presidential candidate for Egypt announced he would no longer be a candidate for the country’s top job, arguing that the military junta, in power since a popular uprising against Mubarak last February, was failing to create a proper democratic transition in the country.
“My conscience will not allow me to run for the presidency or any other official position only in the framework of a democratic system takes real essence of democracy, not just form,” he said in Saturday’s statement.
Even that statement is personal and does little to show his supposed belief in the Egyptian people. Looking back on his now failed campaign, ElBaradei never really was able to understand his role, or galvanize people in the country toward what he claims is the democratic future of Egypt.
On January 25, 2011, when tens of thousands of Egyptians first took to the streets, ElBaradei was not among them. In fact, he did little to support the early days of the movement that would ultimately oust the dictator Mubarak. ElBaradei did not return to Egypt until late on January 27, and only then did he call for protests. Three days into the uprising.
Activists didn’t forget his slow manner of joining the ranks of the protests. One activist, who has been on the frontlines of clashes in the country for the past year, told Bikyamasr.com that “ElBaradei was so concerned with his image abroad that he forgot about his image here in Egypt.”
That is true. Too often, ElBaradei gave interviews with foreign media, often refusing calls from local reporters for questioning. He was the posterchild of the foreign press, but was losing support rapidly over the past 12 months......"
Bikya Masr
"CAIRO: When Mohamed ElBaradei made his triumphant return to Egypt for good in early 2010, hundreds of supporters met him at the airport here in Cairo, believing in the former IAEA chief as the savior for Egypt’s stumbling opposition against then-President Hosni Mubarak. He was the man.
On Saturday, the man once tipped as the only viable presidential candidate for Egypt announced he would no longer be a candidate for the country’s top job, arguing that the military junta, in power since a popular uprising against Mubarak last February, was failing to create a proper democratic transition in the country.
“My conscience will not allow me to run for the presidency or any other official position only in the framework of a democratic system takes real essence of democracy, not just form,” he said in Saturday’s statement.
Even that statement is personal and does little to show his supposed belief in the Egyptian people. Looking back on his now failed campaign, ElBaradei never really was able to understand his role, or galvanize people in the country toward what he claims is the democratic future of Egypt.
On January 25, 2011, when tens of thousands of Egyptians first took to the streets, ElBaradei was not among them. In fact, he did little to support the early days of the movement that would ultimately oust the dictator Mubarak. ElBaradei did not return to Egypt until late on January 27, and only then did he call for protests. Three days into the uprising.
Activists didn’t forget his slow manner of joining the ranks of the protests. One activist, who has been on the frontlines of clashes in the country for the past year, told Bikyamasr.com that “ElBaradei was so concerned with his image abroad that he forgot about his image here in Egypt.”
That is true. Too often, ElBaradei gave interviews with foreign media, often refusing calls from local reporters for questioning. He was the posterchild of the foreign press, but was losing support rapidly over the past 12 months......"
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