Mubarak Vows to Combat Corruption and Targets 8% Growth Rate

Mubarak Vows to Combat Corruption and Targets 8% Growth Rate

According to Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, the country’s growth rate is to rise to 8 per cent over the next five years.

Mubarak’s predictions were announced during Saturday’s NDP annual conference where he stressed he hoped his economic plan would alleviate the current situation where nearly half of the Egyptian population live below the poverty level of $2 a day.

In his address, Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for close to three decades, claimed that the ruling NDP rises above monopolising national and political work.

Accusations by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, the Wafd Party and local and international human rights organisations that the ballots were marred by vote buying, rigging and fraud in the parliamentary poll, were sidelined and Mubarak expressed his regret that there was little participation from the opposition in the chamber. He did, however, claim that he would personally supervise policies on combating corruption and devolving power to local authorities. Furthermore, he urged party bosses to connect with the people and called on them to ‘spread hope’.

No mention was made of the potential candidate for the presidential bid but rumour has it that he may run again making it his sixth term if he succeeds. Despite denials, his son Gamal has also been groomed for the post, however, it appears that he has neither the backing of the army nor the people, who reject a republican dynasty.