President 'in good health,' says Gamal Mubarak

Gamal Mubarak, head of the ruling party's influential policies secretariat and son of President Hosni Mubarak, declared that his father was "in good health" and would address the nation on Sunday on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day. "The president will also soon begin a tour of different cities throughout Egypt," he added.

The younger Mubarak went on to say that the president had instructed state media to cover his surgical operation in Germany last month with all due transparency, since the Egyptian people had "the right to know" the state of their president's health.

At a rally in Damas Village on Thursday, Gamal Mubarak rejected recent statements by a ruling party MP who recently said that police should put down popular demonstrations using live ammunition. "This is not our policy, and the man who made those comments will be brought to account," he said.

He also said that the government alone was unable to achieve desired levels of national development without popular participation in political life.

While villagers welcomed Gamal Mubarak with dances and music, members of the National Front for Change--a coalition of pro-reform activists and opposition figures--condemned the visit. Front coordinator Mohamed Ghoneim, however, said the presidential scion had the right to go anywhere to promote his party.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.