Cairo: A little-known political group has started a controversial campaign in Egypt demanding the country's military ruler Hussain Tantawi to run for president.
"We originally planned to launch the campaign around one month ago, but regrettable incidents in Egypt prompted us to delay it," Mahmoud Attia, an official in the self-styled group "Egypt Is above Everyone" said.
He added that his group plans to collect one million signatures to support their request for Tantawi to stand for presidency.
Tantawi has recently denied reports that the military establishment will nominate a contender in Egypt's presidential elections expected in late 2013.
A military council, headed by Tantawi, has been running Egypt's affairs since February when a popular revolt unseated long-standing president Hosni Mubarak. The council has recently been under criticism from several political powers over its performance amid doubts over its agenda for handing over power to a civilian administration.
Dubbing their drive "A Popular Demand for Stability", the pro-Tantawi campaigners claim that they represent the "silent majority" among Egyptians who allegedly see the top military commander as the most qualified one to lead the country to "genuine democracy".
"Field Marshal and the military council have protected the (anti-Mubarak) revolution from being aborted by the former regime. This is his best credential for winning presidency," Attia told the independent newspaper Al Masry Al Youm. He added that his group would distribute thousands of leaflets soon to explain its objectives to the public
There was no immediate comment from the military junta.
