20100605
Reuters

Possible presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei called on supporters attending his biggest rally so far to campaign for a change in Egypt's constitution to allow a democratic succession to Hosni Mubarak.

Up to 3,500 Egyptians rallied in Fayoum, south of Cairo, on Friday to support the former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief.

ElBaradei has said he may run in the 2011 presidential vote if there are constitutional reforms, but the existing rules make it almost impossible for an independent to get on the ballot paper. The government insists the system is free and fair.

"This is a people's movement and it can only be successful by the will of a people' willing to give their voices to the petition for change and follow it through," ElBaradei told the crowd, adding he planned more campaign visits across Egypt.

Mubarak, 82, who had gallbladder surgery in March, has not said whether he plans to run for a sixth six-year term in the election but Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and top ruling party officials said they would back another Mubarak presidential bid.

Organised by a group on the social networking site Facebook, which has a quarter of a million members backing him for the presidency, the rally was the third and biggest of such gatherings so far and drew families from Cairo and Alexandria, as well as Fayoum.

Previous rallies have attracted up to 1,500 people.

"Who said Egypt has no alternative, ElBaradei is the obvious proof," chanted supporters as ElBaradei emerged from the Mubarak mosque in Fayoum after midday prayers.