ElBaradei: Democracy must come from within

ElBaradei: Democracy must come from within
 Noble Peace prize laureate and former IAEA chief Dr Mohamed ElBaradei confirmed that he would not contest in the Egyptian presidential elections slated for next year.
 
In a statement to the German press agency (DPA) ElBaradei explained that he believed it would be meaningless under current circumstances; adding “It’s obvious that the next president will hail from the ruling National Democratic Party”.
 
ElBaradei maintained that he called for true democracy in Egypt something the country evidently lacks. ElBaradei has supported calls for a boycott of next year’s elections highlighting that it would ultimately erode the regime’s legitimacy.
 
When asked about the country’s strongest political opposition the Muslim Brotherhood who are currently on the receiving end of a pre-election clampdown by the government, ElBaradei commended them stressing they were not bad. “In fact,” he added “The MB has managed to gain considerable grassroots support by providing the poor with food and medicine”
With regards to his views on US President Barack Obama, ElBaradei noted that although the US president had initially provided hope for a degree of mutual respect between the Muslim world and the West, he is apparently engrossed in domestic issues.
 
He ended his interview emphasizing that democracy cannot be imposed by external forces, stressing that it was impossible–it must come from within”.