Justice before elections, ElBaradei says

CAIRO, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- There is no reason to rush ahead with elections in Egypt as many members of the former regime must still face justice, reform leader Mohammed ElBaradei said.

ElBaradei returned to Egypt last year after serving as the chief of the International Atomic Energy Association. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has emerged as a main voice of reform in Egypt. He has maintained his calls for reform despite the February resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

ElBaradei said that all members of the former regime must be investigated by the ruling military authorities.

"Slow justice is no justice," he was quoted by Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm as saying. "We need to find those who killed our youth in the revolution."

He added that there "no rush" to hold elections, complaining a new constitution should be in place for the post-Mubarak era.

Egyptian prosecutors announced Thursday they referred several authorities, including the former housing minister and top business magnates, of misuse of public funds.

Habib al-Adly, Egypt's former interior minister, was accused of ordering security forces to fire on anti-government protesters in January.

Protests continued in the Egyptian capital Friday as demonstrators called on leaders to suspend an emergency law in place for much of the last 30 years.

Military leaders said they were reviewing national laws and vowed to have elections within six months.