Cairo, Feb 2 (DPA) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Tuesday night that he will not seek re-election when his current term in office expires in September.
‘I never sought power and influence,’ said Mubarak, who has ruled for nearly 30 years, in a speech on state television.
The 82-year-old president said: ‘I did not intend to run for the coming presidential election,’ promising that in his remaining time in office he would ‘work to ensure the peaceful transfer of power.’
‘I take pride in my long years serving the people. … I will be judged by history by my merits,’ he said.
Mubarak used the speech to slam the protests gripping his country’s streets, saying they had started legally but had eventually been ‘manipulated by political forces’ leading to threats to the ‘safety and security’ of the country.
