Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is often referred to as the ”˜great survivor’ of Egyptian politics.
The 82-year-old has survived a number of assassination attempts to become one of the longest-serving leaders in the Arab world.
In fact, his 30-year regime began with the assassination of former president Anwar Sadat by Islamist gunmen at a military parade on Oct. 6, 1981.
Mubarak, vice president at the time, stepped in to the role and was later approved as the new president in a November referendum.
He was re-elected in 1987 and 1993. The first attempt to assassinate Mubarak came in June 1995, when gunmen attacked his bulletproof limousine as he arrived at an Organization of African Unity summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mubarak returned to Egypt immediately, and later blamed a Sudanese man for the attempt.
Egypt's biggest Islamic militant group, al-Gama'a al-Islamiya, killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians at an ancient temple near the southern town of Luxor in 1997. Six gunmen and three police also died.
The state launched a crackdown on al-Gama'a al-Islamiya and other Islamic militant groups which targeted tourists, Christians and ministers, and has kept a tight lid on them since.
At the same time, the state also limited legitimate political dissent, driving many Egyptians to sympathize with Islamic groups.
Mubarak was reportedly the victim of another assassination attempt in 1999, when a knife-wielding attacker stabbed and wounded him while the president was in a limousine in Port Said, Egypt.
Constitutional amendment
Street protests opposing a fifth term for Mubarak erupted in Egypt in 2005, as parliament voted to change the constitution to allow other candidates to stand for election.
Previously, Egyptians could only vote yes or no for a single candidate appointed by parliament.
The opposition complained that the new rules made it so difficult for a candidate to register and campaign that it would limit any real competition, but the decision was confirmed by a referendum.
Mubarak won a fifth consecutive term in the country’s first officially contested presidential election later that year.
His party maintained its majority in 2005 parliamentary elections that ended in violent protest between police and the opposition Muslim Brotherhood.
Muslim Brotherhood supporters were elected as independents to a record 20 per cent of seats.
U.S. President Barack Obama made a speech in Cairo in 2009, calling for a "new beginning" in ties between Washington and the Islamic world.
Mubarak appeared ill and unable to descend a set of steps to greet Obama when he arrived, claiming he was upset by a recent death in the family.
He was forced to give up his presidential powers for three weeks in 2010, as he recovered from gallbladder surgery in Germany.
Mubarak said in 2006 that he would continue to govern the country until his death. Speculation arose the he was grooming his son, Gamal, to succeed him.
Egyptians strongly oppose the prospect, as does the military, according to leaked U.S. diplomatic cables. But the regime is quick to stifle dissent, preventing a viable alternative candidate to emerge.
Gamal has played a prominent role in the structure of the governing National Democratic Party over the past decade, and Mubarak’s health issues have heightened tensions about the possible succession.
With files from Reuters
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