Latest in Tag: presidential elections Highlight
Latest in Tag: presidential elections
In the name of God
By Rania Al Malky CAIRO: The future of Egypt is on the brink of an Islamist abyss. The Freedom and Justice Party’s tattered poker-faced mask has finally fallen, revealing the bloody fangs of a power hungry vampire, intent on destroying anything that stands between it and its evil, Quran-wielding project to turn Egypt into medieval Afghanistan. …
Egyptians of all stripes aim for presidency
By Dina Zayed and Yasmine Saleh /Reuters CAIRO: Adel Abdeen says he is the secret son of Farouk, the last king of Egypt, who was overthrown in a 1952 coup and succeeded by military leaders who, he says, don’t have a clue. Secure in the belief that he can do a better job, Adel aims to …
INTERVIEW: Presidential hopeful warns Islamists against split vote
By Tamim Elyan / Reuters CAIRO: Islamist groups need to join ranks and support the same candidate at Egypt’s presidential election in order to avoid splitting the vote and handing victory to rivals, an Islamist candidate said on Thursday. Mohamed Selim Al-Awa, 70, is one of the three main Islamists bidding for the top job in …
Ayman Nour to run for president; six hopefuls submit nomination docs
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Head of Ghad El-Thawra Party, Ayman Nour, announced Thursday his intention to contest Egypt’s presidency on behalf of the party after the military rulers pardoned him from a previous conviction Wednesday. Earlier this month, Nour said at a press conference that he might decide not to run in this round of the …
SCAF pardons Ayman Nour, allowing him to run for president
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: The military ruler pardoned head of the Ghad El-Thawra Party, Ayman Nour, from a previous conviction, giving him the opportunity to run for Egypt’s top office. “The military council issued a presidential decree giving Ayman Nour the right to elect and nominate himself (in the presidential elections), practice all his political rights …
New broom sweeps vacuum cleaner
By Philip Whitfield CAIRO: Now that the lesser leagues are sorted, it’s time for the big boys to make hay. As Charles de Gaulle put it: In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant. The nation’s political wanabes are clamoring. Who’d wanabe big? As of now, 800 aspirants are carting around the …
Campaign silence law violated as MP pushes to amend it
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Laws limiting campaigning to three weeks prior to the presidential election are proving hard to follow as candidates work on collecting the required 30,000 endorsements and, in the meantime, are making no secret of violating the campaign silence rule. “Candidates affiliated with parties can submit their nomination papers with the consent of …
Number of expats registered to vote ‘pitiful,’ say experts
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: The low number of Egyptian expats registering to vote in the upcoming presidential elections is “pitiful,” dismayed political analysts said. According to the official online outlet of the Presidential Elections Committee elections.eg, on Thursday, 403,820 have registered so far, 355,000 of whom were already registered before the parliamentary elections. Egyptian expatriates are …
Presidential vote becoming Egypt’s most exciting
By Hamza Hendawi / AP CAIRO: From plumbers to lawyers, dessert chefs to retired master spies, hundreds are trying to join the race for president in what is shaping up to be Egypt’s most exciting vote in living memory. The vote is the first since last year’s ouster of authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak in a popular …
Hundreds prepare to run in Egypt presidential vote
By Hamza Hendawi /AP CAIRO: At least 500 Egyptians have taken the first step to run for president, a sign of the excitement generated by the country’s first presidential elections in which the outcome is in doubt, election officials said on Wednesday. They said the 500 have obtained applications to officially declare their candidacy for the …
Presidential hopefuls prefer individual endorsements over MPs’ support
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: A number of presidential hopefuls opted to get the required 30,000 individual endorsement signatures instead of those from 30 MPs, seeing it as the first real indicator of popular acceptance of any candidate. Presidential hopefuls, who are not members of established parties with parliament representation, must collect the signatures of 30 parliamentarians …
First free presidential race starts in Egypt
By Agencies CAIRO: Egypt officially started on Saturday the process of holding its first-ever free presidential elections with candidates able to submit their applications. But already the much-anticipated presidential race has been marred by intense speculation that the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most powerful political group, is working behind the scenes with the country’s ruling military …
Presidential hopefuls to begin registering Saturday
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: The committee supervising Egypt’s presidential election issued Wednesday regulations for ratifying the signatures of voters who support certain candidates, for the voting procedure of expatriates and also specified campaign funding guidelines. The Supreme Presidential Election Committee will begin receiving nominations on Saturday and until April 8, with the first election since Hosni …
Islamists could crown Egypt’s next president
By Hamza Hendawi / AP CAIRO: A lineup of Islamists, retired generals, old regime figures and political newcomers are campaigning to become Egypt’s first president since Hosni Mubarak’s fall, but none of them may have the stature to tackle this nation’s enormous problems or stand up to the powerful military. The May 23-24 elections are supposed …
Students inconclusive in debate on religious aspects of presidential race
By Amir Makar CAIRO: A rather vague translation was the basis of the argument in a debate among university students over the eligibility for running for president, with both parties presenting arguments that are essentially two sides of the same coin. In Arabic, the motion read “Should a person of religious background run for the presidency?” …
Timeline for presidential election ‘insufficient,’ say candidates
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: The schedule set by the committee supervising Egypt’s presidential election does not give sufficient time for the registration process or campaigning, argued candidates and politicians, who also cited issues with the funding regulations. “This timeline is insufficient…there should have been more time to complete the registration process and the campaigning should be …
Egypt presidential election May 23-24
By Samer Al-Atrush / AFP CAIRO: Egypt will vote on May 23 and 24 to elect its first president since a popular uprising overthrew Hosni Mubarak a year ago, the head of the elections committee said on Wednesday. Farouk Sultan told journalists expatriates will be allowed to vote from May 11 to May 17 and …
Analysts slam attempt to unite revolutionary powers prior to presidential elections
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Analysts were reluctant to praise an initiative by politicians and public figures that attempt to bring together the revolutionaries around the main goals of the Jan. 25 revolution only weeks before the registration for the presidential elections begins. An initiative that comprises politicians, activists and faculty professors with varying ages, decided on …
Youngest presidential hopeful promises to achieve social justice
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Rights lawyer Khaled Aly announced Monday his plans to run for president on a platform of social justice, “as an independent young man who is sided with the poor against the military ruling.” “I have no fear as long as I am backed by the poor and indigent who revolt for their …
PA approves amendments on Articles 30, 38 in presidential elections law
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: The People’s Assembly gave its initial approval of amendments to Articles 30 and 38 of the presidential elections law, to guarantee the transparency and integrity of the elections and its results. The amendments will be referred to the Supreme Constitutional Court to decide whether they are constitutional or not within 15 days. …
Islamists, remnants of former regime main contenders in presidential race, say experts
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: The upcoming presidential elections are going to be a showdown between candidates affiliated with the Islamist stream and those linked to the ousted regime, political and media experts argued. Since the presidential electoral committee announced that registration of candidacy will start on March 10, a number of newly announced presidential hopefuls …