Democratic rumblings

Cairo

Hundreds of demonstrators mounted a tense protest in Cairo this week, shouting, “No to Mubarak,” as thousands of riot police stood guard. President Hosni Mubarak has ruled Egypt since 1981, and he is seeking a fifth six-year term. Egypt does not hold multicandidate presidential elections; instead the people vote yes or no on a single nominee chosen by parliament, which is dominated by Mubarak’s party. Last week, the government arrested the most prominent opposition leader, Ayman Nour, an outspoken supporter of multiparty elections. Egypt was scheduled to host a conference on democracy, but it postponed the event indefinitely because of U.S. criticism over the arrest.