The deadline for filing presidential candidacy credentials was Sunday, 8 April at 2:00 PM Cairo time. In the final minutes, the offices of the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) were surrounded by the supporters of several candidate hopefuls arriving to file their paperwork. As the deadline passed, the number of candidate hopefuls had mushroomed to 23!
In an earlier post, we had offered brief biographical summaries of several of the candidates but with the number now greater than we ever imagined we offer two more and for the rest, we suggest that our readers visit ahramonline! http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/36/122/38868/Presidential-elections-/Presidential-elections-news/All-you-need-to-know-about-Egypts-presidential-can.aspx
Mohamed Selim El-Awa
El-Awa is an Islamic thinker, writer and prominent lawyer who has published numerous books, as well as papers and newspaper articles. He was a legal consultant for the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Sudan, Yemen and Pakistan. As the secretary general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, he was a founder of the Arab Muslim-Christian Dialogue group in 1994 and remains a member until today.
During 2011, he denounced mass demonstrations which demanded a transfer of power to a civilian government before the deadline set by SCAF of July 2012. He also declared that he considered protests to be disruptive to the economy.
He is considered to be a reformist who holds a position between the Salafist candidate, Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail, and Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, who is viewed as too liberal. He is thought to be open to dialogue and coexistence with those with other political and social views.
Kaled Ali
Ali, at forty-one, is the youngest presidential candidate to join the contest. A well known social justice lawyer, he has defended the rights of peasants, workers and students and has achieved a number of notable victories. In March 2010, he obtained a landmark ruling in a class-action lawsuit that mandated an LE1,200 minimum wage for public-sector workers. He held a position with Cairo’s Legal Assistance Center and was cofounder of the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre, a law firm that has since become an influential leader of Egypt’s human rights activities. He has also launched the Coordinating Committe to advocate for workers’ rights, the Front for Defending Egypt’s Protesters and served as the director of the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR), a prominent human and labor rights advocacy group. He resigned to run for president.
His support for the revolution and opposition to SCAF, calling for Egypt’s military to remove itself from economic activity, is well known. He emphasizes social equity, wealth redistribution, civil liberties and the revolutionary cause as a continuing struggle. He has gained enthusiastic support from the left and young revolutionaries.
SPEC delays final candidate list
Clearly the SPEC was overwhelmed by the effort required to determine the validity of so many hopefuls and they announced that the final list of Qualified Candidates will now be published on 26 April, not 9 April as originally promised.
We are certain that the delay in releasing the official list will not cause the hopeful candidates to delay their campaigns nor will the pundits and opinion leaders be delayed in stating their opinions and writing commentaries. The drama continues!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Egypt's Presidential Candidates as of 3 April
Although the final list of candidates will not be announced until 9 April, we have compiled a preliminary list with the assistance of Ahramonline, http://english.ahram.org.eg/Index.aspx
These tidbits of information about each candidate provide insights about Egypt’s future leader and we offer them, begging your indulgence for the brevity and sketchiness.
Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail
Abu-Ismail is a lawyer and influential Islamic preacher, and has emerged as one of the front runners in Egypt’s first post-Mubarak presidential contest.
He is a staunch supporter of the implementation of Islamic Sharia in society but that the community must be ready to accept such Islamic principles. Sharia law would mean that Muslim women must cover their heads (but, presumably, not their faces). He believes that women only enter the workforce out of economic necessity. Abu Ismail would seek to enforce gender segregation at work places, saying sex mingling at the workplace creates intimacy that Egyptian men do not accept.
Amr Moussa
Moussa is a prominent politician and career diplomat, former Arab League secretary-general, who is well known in Egypt, the Arab world and internationally. Moussa's extensive experience in diplomacy and politics makes him a strong candidate. On the other hand, his close association with the Mubarak regime could cause him to lose support of younger revolutionaries and gain support of those who opposed the revolution.
According to Ahramonline, "At 75 years of age, he is seen by many as part of a generation which is past its expiration date and out of touch with the youthful energy asociated with the revolution."
Hamdeed Sabahi
Journalist and poet, Sabahi comes from peasant stock and worked as a fisherman as a young man. He is a former member of the People’s Assembly, and a Nasserist opposition figure, well known for his opposition to the Sadat and Mubarak regimes. His total support for the revolution appeals to the young activists and his peasant background makes him popular among the workers.
He is an outspoken critic of the United States and Israel. According to Ahramonline, "He has said in recent interviews that he would commit the Egyptian government to provide material aid to the Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation."
Ahmed Shafiq
If close association with the Mubarak regime is a plus, then Shafiq would be a sure winner. His name was even suggested as one of Mubarak’s possible successors along with Gamal Mubarak and former head of intelligence, Omar Suleiman. A veteran minister in Mubarak's government, he actually served for 33 days as the last prime minister before Murarak stepped down. He has promised to end the lawlessness in the country and is committed to pro-business policies that appeal to the private sector.
Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh
Formerly a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Abul-Fotouh served in the Guidance Office, the highest executive office of the Brotherhood from 1987 to 2009. He is a physician active in international relief work, and an Islamic activist with relatively liberal views. These views have given him the support of middle class and younger Brotherhood members. He might be the candidate best suited to bridge the divide between secular and Islamic Egyptians.
Khairat El-Shater
The newest candidate, El-Shater was the surprise nominee of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced on 1 April. The MB had insisted that it would not field a presidential candidate. El-Shater was, until the announcement, the second in command with tremendous power within the organization. He holds great influence over the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau and Shura Council, the two highest bodies within the group
A multimillionaire, he was a successful investor of the group’s funds. His Linkedin web page lists him as owner of half a dozen companies in a range of industries. If he wins the presidential election then he will be required by law to disclose his wealth.
In one week’s time, the final official list of candidates will be released by the Election Commission and we’ll provide an update regarding the possible additional candidates. We intend to offer our observations about the candidates and the campaign as it proceeds so please check back!
These tidbits of information about each candidate provide insights about Egypt’s future leader and we offer them, begging your indulgence for the brevity and sketchiness.
Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail
Abu-Ismail is a lawyer and influential Islamic preacher, and has emerged as one of the front runners in Egypt’s first post-Mubarak presidential contest.
He is a staunch supporter of the implementation of Islamic Sharia in society but that the community must be ready to accept such Islamic principles. Sharia law would mean that Muslim women must cover their heads (but, presumably, not their faces). He believes that women only enter the workforce out of economic necessity. Abu Ismail would seek to enforce gender segregation at work places, saying sex mingling at the workplace creates intimacy that Egyptian men do not accept.
Amr Moussa
Moussa is a prominent politician and career diplomat, former Arab League secretary-general, who is well known in Egypt, the Arab world and internationally. Moussa's extensive experience in diplomacy and politics makes him a strong candidate. On the other hand, his close association with the Mubarak regime could cause him to lose support of younger revolutionaries and gain support of those who opposed the revolution.
According to Ahramonline, "At 75 years of age, he is seen by many as part of a generation which is past its expiration date and out of touch with the youthful energy asociated with the revolution."
Hamdeed Sabahi
Journalist and poet, Sabahi comes from peasant stock and worked as a fisherman as a young man. He is a former member of the People’s Assembly, and a Nasserist opposition figure, well known for his opposition to the Sadat and Mubarak regimes. His total support for the revolution appeals to the young activists and his peasant background makes him popular among the workers.
He is an outspoken critic of the United States and Israel. According to Ahramonline, "He has said in recent interviews that he would commit the Egyptian government to provide material aid to the Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation."
Ahmed Shafiq
If close association with the Mubarak regime is a plus, then Shafiq would be a sure winner. His name was even suggested as one of Mubarak’s possible successors along with Gamal Mubarak and former head of intelligence, Omar Suleiman. A veteran minister in Mubarak's government, he actually served for 33 days as the last prime minister before Murarak stepped down. He has promised to end the lawlessness in the country and is committed to pro-business policies that appeal to the private sector.
Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh
Formerly a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Abul-Fotouh served in the Guidance Office, the highest executive office of the Brotherhood from 1987 to 2009. He is a physician active in international relief work, and an Islamic activist with relatively liberal views. These views have given him the support of middle class and younger Brotherhood members. He might be the candidate best suited to bridge the divide between secular and Islamic Egyptians.
Khairat El-Shater
The newest candidate, El-Shater was the surprise nominee of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced on 1 April. The MB had insisted that it would not field a presidential candidate. El-Shater was, until the announcement, the second in command with tremendous power within the organization. He holds great influence over the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau and Shura Council, the two highest bodies within the group
A multimillionaire, he was a successful investor of the group’s funds. His Linkedin web page lists him as owner of half a dozen companies in a range of industries. If he wins the presidential election then he will be required by law to disclose his wealth.
In one week’s time, the final official list of candidates will be released by the Election Commission and we’ll provide an update regarding the possible additional candidates. We intend to offer our observations about the candidates and the campaign as it proceeds so please check back!
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