Early start for presidential election battles in Egypt

2011-04-05 By Mohamed Mahmoud in Cairo

Ayman Nour, president of the al-Ghad Party, is one of the seven candidates who have declared they are running for president of Egypt. [Amr Dalsh/Reuters]

Presidential election campaigns began early in Egypt as candidates vie to succeed former President Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down last February in the wake of the January 25th revolution.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has not announced a date for presidential elections, but has indicated that the election will take place no later than November. This has not stopped the candidates from being intensely active in the provinces in an effort to rally support for their campaigns.

Seven have so far announced their intention to run for president, most of whom do not belong to existing political parties and intend to enter the election as independents.

The seven candidates are: Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, former president of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab League; Hisham Bastawisi, vice president of the Court of Cassation; Hamdeen Sabahi, a political activist; Ayman Nour, president of the El Ghad Party; former Lt. General Magdi Hatata, ex-chief of staff of the Egyptian army; and Buthaina Kamel, a journalist.

In a referendum, Egyptians approved constitutional amendments March 19th that require an independent candidate to garner 30,000 signatures from 15 provinces for the nomination to be accepted by the High Elections Commission, while party candidates only need their party to have at least one seat in parliament.

Over the past few weeks, the provinces have witnessed fierce competition between the campaigns of ElBaradei, Moussa, and Bastawisi to rally supporters and build electoral bases in regions largely ignored by Egyptian politicians in past election campaigns.

In Minya province in Upper Egypt, dozens of ElBaradei volunteers took to college campuses and invited students to join the campaign, distributing thousands of leaflets featuring ElBaradei and his political positions.

"Our campaign is focusing on the provinces with the purpose of conducting thorough examinations of the problems and providing clear solutions in Dr. ElBaradei's electoral programme, which will be announced soon," said al-Baradei campaign activist Abd al-Rahman Samir.

He said that among ElBaradei's goals are "rebuilding and reforming the administrative structure of the state, fighting and uprooting corruption, and reforming education along lines that serve the economy and development in Egypt."

ElBaradei faces stiff competition in the Upper Egypt provinces from Bastawisi's campaign, which is focused primarily on building a strong electoral base in Upper Egypt. Bastawisi toured the province of Asyut last week, where he met with campaign volunteers and grassroots leadership in the city.

Bastawisi is the vice president of the Court of Cassation and a reformist who was long opposed to the regime of former President Mubarak. He gained popularity during the past six years because of his calls to preserve the independence of the judiciary and to allow it to fully oversee the parliamentary and presidential elections. He also called for international monitoring of the elections.

Bastawisi said in press statements that he would stand as a candidate for president "to complete the achievement of the objectives of the January 25th revolution, and return Egypt to its position among developed countries". He added that his platform would side with the poor and slum dwellers.

Amr Moussa enjoys popularity in the Egyptian street because of his positions on "Arab reunion" and his role during the January 25th revolution as a member of the Committee of Wise Men, which conducted dialogue with the regime to convince Mubarak to step down.

Attorney Ahmed Nassar, a Moussa campaign activist in Alexandria, said the campaign began networking the clusters represented by the major groups in the city, such as unions, clubs, public bodies, and universities to support Moussa as a presidential candidate.

"There will be co-ordination with other national forces, excluding any element of the former ruling National Democratic Party," he said.

The campaign of candidate Hamdeen Sabahi is also active in several Egyptian provinces. Sabahi is a journalist and former parliamentarian with the Nasserist party.

Sabahi is currently editor-in-chief of the al-Karama newspaper, issued by the Hizb al-Karama Party (Dignity Party), which is awaiting a political license to operate. Sabahi resigned from his post in the Nasserist party a few years ago to found a new party that combines liberal thought with social justice.

Sabahi pledges in his platform to make "Egypt the world's eighth strongest economy within the next eight years, as happened in Brazil and India."

His election programme also includes more public freedoms and guaranteeing political rights including the right of belief, opinion, and expression through peaceful means.

The three other presidential candidates, Nour, Hatata and Kamel, have yet to start their campaigns.

Parliamentary elections for the People's Assembly, the lower house of parliament, and the Shura Council are scheduled for next September, to be followed by the election of a founding committee charged with drafting a new constitution within six months.

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READER COMMENTS

مختار عبد الحسن

2012-4-18

The Egyptian people should be more aware and understanding of all that is happening and not let the satiated elements direct them to the ruin and destruction of Egypt in order to reach their positions and posts. All Egyptian people and everyone else should know that their unity managed to remove the former regime; without their union they wouldn’t have been able to remove the dictatorial regime, and their dispersion will weaken this force, which God give them. Thus, the union of the Egyptian people will bring Egypt welfare, peace, stability and calm, but if they want to experience what happened in Iraq, Yemen and the rest of the other countries that have seen the harshest kinds of injustice, oppression, suffering and tragedy, then they can all behave according to their desires and respond to the demands of their commanders, leaders and position holders who fight each other in order to get to the posts, not in the service of the people. The Egyptian people must return to their minds and senses and wake up from the sleep that they fell into after the revolution. Instigators of violence should not be allowed to continue their malignant work, which divides and weakens the will, strength, determination, patience and sacrifice of the Egyptian people who made the revolutions that history has long witnessed for many years. Egypt must remain rich in unity, solidarity, cooperation, love and brotherhood and there should not be any grudges or violence, dispersion or hatred and fighting, because Egypt will not reach the top except with the enthusiasm and help of all of the Egyptian people. If they are less, then work will become hard and too long and there will be no way out of this dilemma that Egypt put itself into, which depends on what the Egyptian people do.
حمزة

2012-4-9

I want to say that, even though the Egyptians faced attacks and went through a big revolution, yet they managed to protect themselves. There are countries that were able to get rid of the oppressing regimes, yet they stopped at a certain point and could not see it through to the end. I think Yemen has to find a solution for its problem. It has to work hard to get rid of the cowardly terrorists of the al-Qaeda organization. God willing, everything will be better than before. Yemen is one of the most respected and confident Arab countries, and this is why it will be the best and first, by the Will of Almighty God. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.
fofo

2011-7-29

The issue of free elections in Egypt is premature at the present time, because the Egyptian people today desperately need to preserve their revolution and protect it from those who are waiting for an opportunity to bypass it and create a new political regime with an affiliation to the former ousted regime. This former regime has been overthrown because it committed acts of corruption, deviance and persecution against millions of people. As such, Egypt would remain far from its Arab and Islamic surroundings, as it was at the time of the former Egyptian regime under the leadership of Hosni Mubarak. This certainly does not satisfy the youth and men of Egypt, whose martyr’s blood has not yet dried in different squares and streets of Egypt. They have declared their complete freedom so far, without any subordination in order to realize their dream. This dream has nearly come true, in order to establish the first pure and free democratic regime, even though the leadership of the Egyptian revolution is still under the mandate of the Egyptian army that swore to be true to the popular duty, with all complete dedication and neutrality. However, it needs to transfer the revolution of the youth of Egypt to a new phase, which is to form a council for the leadership of the revolution, made up of patriotic, dedicated figures who are keen on preserving the duty preserved to them and on realizing the wishes of the Egyptian people to start a new phase of free elections. This would result in a dedicated, patriotic government that takes it upon itself to meet the demands of the masses of the revolution and the Egyptian people. The ballot boxes will be the best expression of the victory of the secularists or the liberals, because the wishes of the Egyptian people will be the real determining factor in these elections. I also hope that the coming elections are democratic elections, without manipulation, forgery and political blandishment, in order to block the way before those who are waiting for an opportunity to destroy the revolution. These include deviants and opportunists who try to contain the revolution of the masses, to empty it of its revolutionary content by deceiving people into thinking that the popular revolution was aimed at overthrowing the Mubarak regime, in order to return the country to what it was during the Mubarak era. Therefore, attention must be given to these movements, which are allied with the devil, that seek to abort the revolution in Egypt and take the country back to square one.
نصر الشباب

2011-7-11

Egyptians are still suffering from the past era, in which they lived after Hosni Mubarak took power, and until the overthrow of his regime. Thus, I find it difficult to predict the results of the upcoming Egyptian elections, slated to be held after the demise of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. I can even say that the forthcoming elections, despite all the shortcomings or the lack of organization, will be the fairest elections in the history of Egypt. The National Democratic Party, the former ruling party, used to rig the results in its favor. Today, I think that the Egyptian people are facing a big challenge, because the election results and the forces that will take power may lead Egypt to safety in the next period, or they may not. Thus, I advise Egyptians to follow their hearts and minds during the elections, and to give their votes to those who have the competence and ability to develop Egypt anew and make it regain its great Arab and regional rank that it used to enjoy before. Indeed, Egypt has unfortunately lost its former status completely, because of Hosni Mubarak’s failed regime, which led Egypt towards the abyss and made the Egyptian people suffer a lot under his rule. In general, I think that the Egyptian people will elect secularists, and this is what I advise my brothers the Egyptians to do. Egypt needs to have a secular government which does not consider class, religion or doctrine, but considers Egypt and the Egyptian people on the same footing, and works on serving the Egyptian people with all its factions, without distinction. In the next stage, we hope that the Egyptian people pay heed to agitators and those who incite dissension. Civil society organizations must focus on work and organization, to follow the election and prevent forging the results, so that the blood of the revolution’s martyrs, who have sacrificed their lives for Egypt’s freedom, will not go in vain. Finally, I would like to say that we trust the ability of Egyptians to protect the interests of Egypt and to choose the best and most suitable candidates who want to be nominated in the next elections, because they have tasted the bitterness of dictatorship and do not want to relive it once again.
شكري عبدالعظيم

2011-7-5

The Egyptian masses today need free leaders in order to prepare for free elections in the country after the success of the revolution of the Egyptian youth, as the country cannot be left suffering from a security and political vacuum that may be exploited by some opportunist groups with close links to the former regime. This was the reason behind everything that happened in Egypt, because the government deviated from legal and constitutional paths. This led to confusion in the political and security situation, and brought the country to chaos and mass disturbances in the country, and the rise of crises as a result of the Egyptian government's concern with the collection of funds and the lack of care for the citizens and the failure to provide humanitarian services and fulfill needs. History will not have mercy on a government that does not respond to the needs and requirements of the people and stands against them, and the people will keep cursing this government over the years. The people of Egypt have achieved victory over this aggressive gang and were able to change the system of government that had unjustly ruled millions of Egyptian citizens for more than thirty years. Today, Egyptians need to take the necessary measures to hold free, fair and effective elections as soon as possible, to elect a national government that takes upon itself the responsibility to save Egypt from backwardness in all areas of life, especially the Egyptian economy, which is suffering from weakness that will lead to failure in providing services in the country and the rise of crises. Egypt needs to adopt the principles of a secular state that goes in line with the political and social development witnessed by Egypt in recent times, to shape the Egyptian state which can be accepted by all parties and be a springboard to solve all the problems of Egypt at the political, social and economic levels. This state should be in accordance with the principles of moderate Islamic law, which believes in the state of citizenship and the rule of law and gives rights and obligations equally, to avoid discrimination based on religion, language, color or race, for the country to be one of the leading and developed countries in the Arab and Islamic world.
عيسى احمد

2011-7-2

The situation in Egypt has changed significantly and there is now real democracy, as the people have been dreaming of. The Egyptians now feel comfort after they have gotten rid of the criminal Hosni Mubarak and his children and his failed institutions of repression. The innocent blood of Egypt's youth was shed as the price of freedom, and we must not compromise this precious blood that will be perpetuated in history. All people now should focus on making Egypt strong again, so it will once again occupy its rightful place among the Arab countries. We do not want to see Egypt a divided country because of the biased, corrupt people and the people of sedition. I hope all Egyptians live in safety and stability.
سمير شوقي

2011-6-12

The revolution of change in Egypt has succeeded in unseating the repressive regime which had controlled the country, causing a lot of suffering because of the hold it had on people. The ousted regime of Egypt had been rigging the elections since it took office, and was confiscating the people's vote through the control of members of the ruling National Democratic Party on the capabilities of the country and the holding of the elections, by taking advantage of their authority. I believe that the situation today is very different from what it was before. The people of Egypt have become free in making decisions after overthrowing the clique of dictatorship which had imposed its will over the people for decades, stolen their liberty and limited their role. I think that after the success of the Egyptians in eliminating this police authority, the upcoming elections in Egypt will witness absolute freedom and transparency, and they will be democratic elections. The Egyptian people will play a key role in making these elections free, as they will not allow any party to impose its will on others by force, as was happening at the time of former president, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, when elections were witnessing a lot of fraud that served the interests of those who were in power at that time. Today, the Egyptian people will be monitoring the holding of these elections and will not allow anyone to carry out the same practices of the former dictator and his party. According to my reading of the Egyptian situation in the recent period, I think that the liberals are the most likely to win these elections, which will take place soon in Egypt, and they will win at the expense of the secularists and other parties found in the Egyptian arena. I believe that the Egyptian street leans toward the liberals and feels that they are the closest to implementing the wishes of the Egyptians. As for the secularists, I do not believe that luck will be on their side in the upcoming elections, as the liberals' chances of winning are greater.
محمد سليم

2011-5-27

The Egyptian street today is facing a big challenge, because the election results and the forces that will take power will take Egypt either to safety or to ruin in the next period. I advise the Egyptians to follow their hearts and minds in the election and to vote for those who have the competence and capacity to promote Egypt again and restore its Arab and regional position which it held in the past, which it unfortunately completely lost because of confusion of Hosni Mubarak and his failed regime that took Egypt towards the abyss. What Hosni Mubarak did in Egypt is not insignificant, and the Egyptian young people must choose freedom for themselves, to lead a decent life.
ابشر كرم

2011-5-26

The parties that will participate in the Egyptian elections will be at a high degree of caution, especially since the country’s situation will not allow the domination of any one person after the change process. This will contribute to putting an end to the manipulation and domination of elections by one party. And, I think that all of them will be wary of this, especially since Egyptians will not allow any mistake in these elections. Thus, the elections will be free and fair, and I think that secularists are more likely to win, because Egyptians are rather on their side and prefer them to liberals and others.
حبيب حسان

2011-5-21

The Egyptian street today is facing a big challenge, because the election results and the forces that will take power will take Egypt either to safety or to ruin in the next period. I advise the Egyptians to follow their hearts and minds in the election and to vote for those who have the competence and capacity to promote Egypt again and restore its Arab and regional position which it held in the past, which it unfortunately completely lost because of the confusion of Hosni Mubarak and his failed regime that took Egypt towards the abyss. What Hosni Mubarak did in Egypt is not insignificant, and the Egyptian young people must choose freedom for themselves, to live in dignity.
محمد سعيد

2011-5-13

The Egyptian people are conscious people and they know what they are doing. Now they are under great pressure, because the election that will take place will really change the situation in Egypt. I think that today Egyptians are facing a great challenge, because the results of the election and the parties that will hold power will take Egypt to the safe side in the next period, or they will do the opposite. For this reason, I advise Egyptians to follow their minds and hearts in the election and they should give their votes to the ones they believe will move Egypt forward anew and return it to its great position among the Arab countries. Unfortunately, Egypt has lost its position because of Hosni Mubarak and his failing regime that brought Egypt to collapse. Hosni Mubarak has greatly affected Egypt, and the Egyptian youth must take their freedom by themselves in order to live in peace and dignity. Hosni Mubarak has made Egyptians suffer a lot during his rule. In general, I think that Egyptians will tend to elect secularists. I advise them to do so, because Egypt needs a secular government that does not focus on sects and religions, but focuses on Egypt and Egyptians as one. It should serve the Egyptian people regardless of all its sects and without segregation. We all know Ayman al-Zawahiri, who wanted to make Egypt an Islamic state, and for this reason we do not want Egyptians to lessen the importance of the election. We hope that Egyptians will be careful in the next phase of those who want to sow dissension. Civil society organizations should focus on work and following the election, in order to protect it against forgery, so that the sacrifices and the blood of the martyrs who died for the sake of the freedom of the Arab Republic of Egypt will not go in vain. We want the country to live in peace like the other Arab and Gulf countries. Secularists are the best choice for Egypt, if it wants to live in peace. This choice is in the interest of Egypt as well as its people, who want to restore all that they have lost in the past. I wish all good and success for Egypt.
حسين الشيبانى

2011-4-8

We stand with anyone who wants to raise the name of Egypt high with its honor and development. We want to make it an agricultural and industrial country, as it was in the past as a land of religion and patriotism.
شيم

2011-4-6

Where is the spirit of the youth?