Arab diplomat describes Mubarak as walking corpse

Arab diplomat describes Mubarak as walking corpse

 Recent controversy and speculations have risen over Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s health with allegations that he has taken a serious turn for the worse, with fears that the 83-year-old may really be suffering from cancer

 
His surprise visit to Paris earlier this week with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri included a round of medical tests, prompting assumptions that the tests were the real reason behind the visit
 
According to officials Mubarak was hospitalized in Germany early March, after undergoing “a complicated procedure,” despite alleging that the complicated procedure was a simple gall bladder removal procedure while other reports stated he had back trouble. However both the Egyptian authorities and heads of the German hospital declined to provide further details on the surgery
 
Diplomatic sources indicated this week however that Mubarak’s condition has rapidly declined over the last month maintaining that his schedule was severely restricted. In fact the website Worldtribune.com has reported that  according to a senior Arab diplomat who had visited recentlyMubarak was avoiding meetings with most non-Arab leaders to prevent leaks of his true condition describing him a walking corpse”. Another diplomat maintained that the president is heavily drugged prior to making public appearance in an effort to conceal his true health condition
 
Mubarak has in fact indefinitely postponed a meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu prompting concern from the west mainly the US administration. Worldtribune.com added that The sources asserted that  the United States administration of President Barack Obama has urged Mubarak to advance elections scheduled for late 2011 to prevent a power vacuum” The West feared the prospect of political chaos in the event of his death
Mubarak, however, has refused the U.S. proposal. However the a president  has failed to secure a coalition within the military for his son, Gamal, to serve as successor
 
The sources highlighted the State Department’s support of the unofficial candidacy of former IAEA chief Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei as the next president of Egypt .  Since his emergence onto the political scene El Baradei has sought an alliance with the so called banned but popular Muslim Brotherhood and has actively recruited supporters, also from political independents. Nevertheless constitutional restrictions render his candidacy doubtful. The MB however have supported his call for the 7 changes and have in fact launched an online petition on their official website collecting so far over 21, 000 signatures
 
Rumor has it that the ailing president was grooming his son 47 year old Gamal to become the next president in fact during the president’s trip overseas has re-emerged as a prominent player on the political scene. However the president  has failed to secure a coalition within the military for his son, to serve as successor
NDP  Officials have commented that Gamal has expressed that the party needs to unveil a diplomatic platform that will gain widespread support before upcoming parliamentary election
 
Western diplomats however remain cynical describing the situation as ‘unassuring and very dangerous’