Mubarak: Egypt must reform its political, economic landscape

[Darranar]

CAIRO - President Hosni Mubarak said Friday that political and economic reform is needed to modernize Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country where many live in poverty.

Mubarak's comments, delivered in a speech read by the information minister, came at the opening of his ruling party's annual conference, which is set to unveil plans to make Egypt more democratic.

Some 2,000 delegates attended the opening of the National Democratic Party's three-day conference, during which they will discuss papers on three key policy areas - citizenship and democracy; transportation; and agricultural conservation and urban growth.

"Our meeting this year will be the first real test of our dedication to reform and modernize," Mubarak, Egypt's 75-year-old leader since 1981, said in a speech read by Information Minister Safwat el-Sherif.

Haaretz

[Aidoneus]

1. foreign-backed dictator complaining about reforms being needed..

strikes me a bit as Kenneth Lay complaining about all the crimes businessmen carry out..

If Mubarak wants reforms, he can maybe stop taking orders from Washington, stop torturing opponents, let newspapers print whatever they damn well please, lift the state of emergency, maybe hold an election or two.. :shrug:

[bemildred]

2. Maybe he's thinking about his "legacy" or something.

Or just more political double-talk.

[dArKeR]

3. Couldn't stop laughing at this title! How stupid do they think Americans

are? Oops, I shouldn't have said that! (Junior).

[Darranar]

4. Yah...

I remembered reading an article that said that Mubbarak had ordered all of the Egyptian Muslim priests to give the same sermon. He's pretty clearly a lying hypocryte, like almost every other Middle Eastern leader.