Mubarak denies to have his son inherit authority

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has once again denied on Thursday that he has no intention to transfer authority to his son Gamal.

Mubarak said in a telephone talk broadcast by the Egyptian TV that the Egyptian system is a republican one where there is no inheritance. He described the issue of his son's assuming the authority after him as a rumor "composed by certain people."

He indicated that he wants the emergence of young generation so as to have a wide base for serving the Egyptian society, after appointing Gamal ( Mubarak) as a chairman of the policies committee at the ruling National Council. This is, however, one of the most important posts in the party and was established recently.

Mubarak assumed power in Egypt in 1981 in succession of Anwar al-Sadat who was killed at the hands of Islamist gunmen.

Mubarak who was did not appoint a vice president, was obliged to stop a speech before the Egyptian parliament following a sudden illness in November 2003. This incident raised talks once again on who will assume the authority after him and whether he is preparing his son Gamal for that or not.