At the leadership level, an aging Mubarak is facing growing
pressure from both within and outside of Egypt to select his
successor. Many believe that his younger son, Gamal Mubarak,
may succeed him. In almost every Egyptian government office
and public service enterprise, a son usually takes over the posi-
tion vacated by his father.
Egypt has experienced political changes due to two major
political forces—the military and the Islamic groups, or
Islamists. Another significant rival to President Mubarak’s
National Democratic Party is al-Ikhwan, or the Muslim
Brotherhood. The 2005 parliamentary elections gave the Mus-
lim Brotherhood a majority in Parliament. They have since
forged a strong alliance with other Islamist organizations, in-
cluding Hamas, thus increasing the influence of Islamic forces
in shaping Egyptian politics.