Succession in Egypt!
Egypt’s shadowy Suleiman strides into public eye
CAIRO: Egypt’s intelligence chief Omar Suleiman has stepped into the public eye by giving a televised speech to Palestinian groups, fuelling speculation one of the president’s closest aides is being positioned for higher office. Suleiman’s address on late Tuesday was the first time most Egyptians had heard the voice of a man whose profile has grown in the last few years as a mediator between the Palestinians and Israel. He has also carried out other top diplomatic missions.
The public and media know virtually nothing about Suleiman, thought to be in his mid-60s. But many commentators have listed him with figures including Gamal Mubarak, son of President Hosni Mubarak, as a potential successor to Egypt’s leader. "I believe the introduction of Suleiman on Egyptian television is intended to build an image for him as a statesman. It’s been delayed for a long time," said political analyst Mohamed al-Sayed Said.
"It’s a new and striking thing," Essam el-Erian, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s biggest opposition group, said of Suleiman’s televised address. "It could be an indication of a new role, perhaps the deputy (president)." Mubarak, 76, has never appointed a deputy. Egyptian state media on late Tuesday reported that the idea of electing a vice president, the position held by Mubarak and his predecessor Anwar Sadat before taking the presidency, was under study. Mubarak is widely expected to stand for a fifth six-year term in presidential elections later this year, but he has yet to say whether he will run.
jang.com.pk |
