Cairo: Protestors against Mubarak beaten

Opposition groups tried to hold the protest in the capital's main square two days after Mubarak declared he would run for re-election in a Sept. 7 vote. The protesters, however, were met by a line of riot police blocking the square, The AP reported.

Several hundred protesters participated in the protest, chanting slogans against Mubarak.

http://www.albawaba.com/en/news/186996

Mubarak runs for president
By Dina Ezzat

On Friday, the Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) accepted nomination documents presented by candidates planning to run for Egypt's first ever multi-candidate presidential elections on 7 September.

President Hosni Mubarak, who chairs the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), delegated a lawyer to submit his nomination papers to the PEC. Ayman Nour, chairman of the recently founded Al-Ghad Party -- who is widely viewed to be the only serious, albeit not challenging, contender to Mubarak -- presented his papers. Other leaders of small political parties and two independents, Sabri Abdel-Aziz Khalil and Mohamed Attiyah Abdel-Meguid, also presented their papers.

Other contenders for the presidential race could still present the PEC with their nomination papers for a little under a week. The pan-Arab Nasserist and left-wing Tagammu parties decided to boycott the presidential elections protesting "unfair" elections regulations. The other leading party, Al-Wafd (right-wing) will declare Monday its decision on whether or not to join the race. Al-Wafd so far seems inclined to join the Nasserist and Tagammu boycott.

It is widely believed by observers, opposition and NDP members alike that Mubarak is going to defeat all contenders lacking the power and popularity that the president of the state has mastered during 23 years in office.

"I intend to nominate myself for the next presidential elections. I will seek to win the trust and support of the people for a new term," said Mubarak in a public speech that he made before a gathering of NDP supporters in the governorate of Monoufiya, north of Cairo. Monoufiya is the birthplace of the president.

Read More
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/753/eg4.htm

Egyptian security forces have used force to disperse pro-reform demonstrators trying to hold a protest in a main square in central Cairo.

Opposition activists had called a demonstration to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's decision to stand for re-election.

The demonstrators were set upon by riot police wielding sticks and clubs.

Kifaya, a movement campaigning against his re-election, said 19 of its leaders had been arrested.

Protesters were kicked and beaten up before being thrown into police vehicles waiting at the scene.

Kifaya called the protest but other opposition forces were also represented.

Mr Mubarak announced on Thursday that he would stand for re-election.

He promised political and constitutional reforms and said that, as he put it, Egyptians would be free citizens in a democratic country.

'No guarantees'

In recent weeks, Kifaya's weekly demonstrations passed off peacefully without any interference from the police.

Many had thought the authorities would be keen to avoid a repeat of the international outcry which followed assaults in May on demonstrators calling for a boycott of the referendum on constitutional reform.

Mr Mubarak has been facing unprecedented internal and external pressure to introduce democratic changes.

He has shepherded a constitutional change allowing contested presidential elections for the first time this year.

Five opposition leaders have already said they intend to run against him but the leaders of the main parties say there are no serious guarantees the process will be fair or transparent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4731855.stm