Mubarak: Like father, like son?
2005-09-01 14:53
Al-Baqlah - Gamal Mubarak, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's youngest son, appears more powerful than ever as Egypt prepares for presidential elections next week, steering not only his father campaign, but also leading a silent revolution inside the ruling party's ranks.
The election crowns the 41-year-old Gamal's drive to move aside the old guard in the National Democratic Party (NDP) and establish his circle of younger, more Western-minded businessmen and technocrats who say they want greater democracy and reform in a country that has seen one-party rule since 1952.
That has made Gamal Mubarak a favourite of the United States in its hopes for smooth change in one of its top Mid East allies.
But many are sceptical of Gamal Mubarak's "reform" credentials, saying the changes aim to ensure his father's 24-year hold on power.
Future presidency
Many have long believed Mubarak is grooming Gamal to succeed him - and the decision to hold multi-candidate presidential elections for the first time has done nothing to hush such talk.
The most outspoken opposition newspapers call Gamal "Egypt's de facto ruler", and some believe elections will be used to manoeuvre him into a future presidency.
Gamal's power comes only from his being the president's son, said Ahmed Sayyed el-Naggar, an economist at Cairo's al-Ahram centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
Mubarak's six-year reform programme - drawn up by Gamal Mubarak and his clique - promises to hand over some presidential power to the parliament and cabinet and to lift emergency laws in place since 1981.
Party insiders say Gamal Mubarak - who lived nearly a decade in Britain, where he founded the investment company MidInvest - was heavily influenced by the Labour Party's experiences there, and dreams of Egypt having a political system rotating power between two major political parties in a parliamentary system like Britain.
Gamal's rise
Gamal Mubarak's rise began in September 2000, when he and his circle succeeded in changing the internal constitution of byrules of the ruling party to form the Policies Secretariat, a committee to develop new policies.
The latest cabinet, created a year ago, is also full of Gamal allies, including the prime minister and the powerful trade, information and finance ministers, who have been pushing economic changes such as a new tax law.
Gamal's circle is looking beyond the presidential vote, hoping parliament elections next month will increase their presence in the legislature, where the National Democratic Party holds 388 of 454 seats.
Gamal's rise has also threatened the dominance of Safwat el-Sherif, who served as information minister for two decades and is seen as the president's eyes and ears.
There is much talk about Gamal's next step. Some predict the 77-year-old Mubarak will not be able to complete his six-year term - opening the way for his son.
- AP