Mubarak says he will allow democratic elections

EGYPT: In a dramatic reversal of policy Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has asked parliament to amend the constitution to provide for multiparty presidential elections in September.

In a televised address on Saturday Mr Mubarak (76) said: "The election of a president will be through direct, secret balloting, giving the chance for political parties to run for the presidential elections and providing guarantees that allow more than one candidate for the people to choose." He said he had taken this decision "out of my full conviction of the need to consolidate efforts for more freedom and democracy".

Following a meeting of the national assembly, Muhammad Kamal, a spokesman for the ruling National Democratic Party, announced that parliament would propose the amendment within two weeks and a national referendum would be held in nine weeks.

Since the 1952 revolution ousted the monarchy, Egypt's president has been selected by the national assembly, dominated by the ruling party which has been in power throughout this period. The legislators' choice has then been put to referendum in which the electorate votes Yes or No. Consequently, presidents have generally been confirmed by a 90 per cent vote.

Mr Mubarak, who came to power in 1981 after the assassination of Anwar Sadat, has had four six-year terms and is likely to stand again this year or to nominate his son, Gamal, to succeed him.

Last month he rejected opposition demands for direct elections as "futile" but since then he has come under increasingly vocal internal and external pressure to initiate democratic reforms.

A meeting in Cairo of the Group of Eight industrialised countries with Arab foreign ministers was also cancelled because participants were expected to raise the sensitive issue of democratic reform.

Mr Mubarak's governments have failed to deal with Egypt's monumental problems of overpopulation, unemployment, and the lack of health, education, and social services. Although Egypt has moved from a centrally controlled to a market economy, the living standards of the poor have fallen while wealthy industrialists and merchants close to the regime have seized control of the economy.

Conor O'Clery in New York adds: The White House has reacted cautiously to President Mubarak's announcement. The commitment by Mr Mubarak follows the abrupt cancellation by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice of a visit to Egypt next weekend because of the lack of political reform.

The State Department has protested in particular about the jailing of Ayman Nour, leader of a political party pressing for multi-candidate elections.

The Bush administration has some leverage over President Mubarak as the US gives Egypt $2 billion in aid every year.

President Bush signalled he would press for reforms when he said in January that Egypt "which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East".