Egypt talks lacked credibility, opposition figure states

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WASHINGTON – Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei slammed fledgling negotiations on Egypt’s future on Sunday and said he was not invited to the talks.

The Nobel Peace laureate said weekend talks with Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman were managed by the same people who had ruled the country for 30 years and lack credibility. He said the negotiations were not a step toward the change protesters have demanded in 12 days of demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

“The process is opaque. Nobody knows who is talking to whom at this stage,” ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Suleiman met on Sunday with opposition groups including the officially banned Islamic Muslim Brotherhood. On Saturday, Suleiman, Egypt’s longtime intelligence chief, talked with independent and mainstream opposition figures to discuss options for a transition of power.

“It’s managed by Vice President Suleiman,” ElBaradei said. “It is all managed by the military and that is part of the problem.”

ElBaradei said he has not been part of the negotiations.

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