Reform leader pulls out, saying country's ruling junta has governed since Mubarak's exit 'as if no regime has fallen'

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

The Egyptian reform leader Mohamed ElBaradei has dramatically announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in protest at the ruling military council's failure to put the country on the path to democracy.

The Nobel laureate, regarded as a driving force behind the movement that forced the former president Hosni Mubarak to step down, said the conditions for a fair election were not in place.

At a press conference on Saturday, ElBaradei said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over from Mubarak, had governed "as if no revolution took place and no regime has fallen".

"My conscience does not permit me to run for the presidency or any other official position unless it is within a democratic framework," the former head of the UN nuclear watchdog said.

Although widely respected, ElBaradei was considered unlikely to secure the presidency later this year.