Born and raised in Cairo, ElBaradei returned home from Vienna after the Egypt protests began. A Nobel prize winner and former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, he is not tied to a particular party and has spent most of the past decade outside of the country. Some expect him to act as a transitional figurehead for Egypt’s fractured opposition groups and democratic forces. The Muslim Brotherhood, a key opposition group in Egypt, is backing him as a chief negotiator in the transition period. While the protests are driven by the people rather than a particular person or party, ElBaradei says he is hoping to channel demands for change.
Asmaa Waguih/Reuters
