ElBaradei backers call for change

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CAIRO, May 10 (UPI) -- Supporters of Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei said they were gathering signatures to support a push for political reforms in Cairo.

Nearly 1,000 lawyers gathered during the weekend in Cairo to gather signatures in support of ElBaradei's demands for political reform and social justice, Egypt's Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reports.

"We aim to collect 100,000 signatures every month for ElBaradei's 'Together We Will Change' campaign," said Ahmed Qenawy, the coordinator for ElBaradei's National Front for Change movement.

ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, returned to Cairo in February, fueling rumors he may challenge 82-year-old Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 elections.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who hasn't formed an official political party in Egypt, said the presidency wasn't the primary goal of his movement, however. His main aim, he told CNN International during his April visit to the United States, was to see Egypt make "a genuine shift to democracy."

He said he wouldn't run for president unless constitutional amendments were enacted to ensure elections in Egypt were free and fair.

A state of emergency declared in Egypt in 1981 places restrictions in certain political actions in the country. The measure was extended recently for another two years.