Ali El Din Hillal, the National Democratic Party’s media head, said the formal nomination process would not take place until a month or two before the vote, a date which has not been set although it is expected in the second half of 2011.
The looming vote has prompted speculation about whether Mubarak, in power since 1981, will seek a sixth term. If he does not, many believe his politician son Gamal, 46, could run, or possibly another candidate with a military background.
“The NDP’s candidate for the coming presidential elections is President Hosni Mubarak,” Hillal said by telephone. “This is the will of all the leadership of the party.”
Hillal made similar comments to a talk show broadcast earlier on Thursday by Hurra TV, a US-based Arabic channel. He suggested the vote could be held in October. But he would not confirm that date when speaking to Reuters.
Analysts say rules for the election stack the vote heavily in favor of the candidate put forward by the NDP. In the 2005 vote, Egypt’s first multi-candidate race, Mubarak won easily.
Liberal opposition candidate Ayman Nour, Mubarak’s main challenger in 2005, came a distant second. He has said he plans to run in the coming election.
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif said in September the constitutional process outlined a timeline for fielding candidates three months before a vote.
Nazif said that, if Mubarak felt capable of running, the party would stand behind him. Other top party officials have said Mubarak would be the favored choice if he decided to run.
