Egypts First Post Mubarak Elections 2012

With the skies clear and the weather warm, long lines of people queued at pollig stations to vote in an election cast as a watershed in their political history.

 

Some 50 million Egyptians are eligible to vote and of the candidates around four or five are seen as plausible contenders.

 

Wednesday the 23rd and Thursday the 24th will be a dream come true for every one of these eligible voters. Although they have voted in the past, they were always sure that only one candidate would succeed – Mubarak. 

 

 

 

As they hold on to their hopes that the person they voted for will succeed to change Egypt into the new country so many people fought and died for, each candidate hopes that their campaigns have reached the masses and await their futures.

 

Main candidates for the 2012 elections:
 

 

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a doctor by practice and a Muslim Brotherhood figure popular with Egyptian youths, declared his candidacy in May 2011. He was expelled from the Brotherhood for this decision on 20 June of that year, as it contradicted an earlier Guidance Bureau decision that the Brotherhood would not put forward a candidate in 2011.[22] The Muslim Brotherhood contradicted their initial position on 31 March 2012 when they put forward Khairat El-Shater as the Brotherhood's candidate and Mohamed Morsy as his replacement. Aboul Fotouh is well known for his staunch opposition to both the Sadat and Mubarak regimes, as well as his openness towards people of different political views. He was detained once during Sadat's rule and twice during Mubarak's rule. He has promised to appoint a vice-president who is a youth revolutionary and to fill over half of the country's important posts with youths under the age of 45.[23]

Despite coming from the moderate-to-liberal wing of the Islamist movement, Aboul Fotouh won the endorsement of the Salafi Al-Nour Party on 28 April 2012.[24]

Khaled Ali

Khaled Ali announced his campaign on 27 February 2012,and applied for elections on 8 April 2012 as an independent with the support of 32 elected officials in both chambers of parliament the youngest candidate to enter the race. Ali is a prominent Egyptian lawyer and activist, known for his work advocating reform of corruption in the government and private sector and his promotion of social justice and labor rights. Al-Ahram Weekly called him a" legendary anti-corruption crusader",[25] and CounterPunch described him as "Egypt’s best-known counselor and defender of independent unions and worker protests."[26] In 2011 he won the “Egyptian Corruption Fighter” award.[27]

Many of Ali’s supporters see him as filling the void left by Mohamed ElBaradei's withdrawal.[28] Ali is not well-known to the majority of Egyptians, and even those who are familiar with him have tended to be surprised by his decision to run. His profile doesn’t compare to the other "star" candidates in the race, wrote Al-Akhbar English.[28] Ali's lack of experience as a politician is a concern. Many, even in the revolutionary movement, remain skeptical about his candidacy.[28] Ali's candidacy has not been seen to have a high likelihood of success. Critics argue that his chance of winning is low, and are further concerned that he could split the vote in a way that would sway the election towards representatives of the prior regime.[29]

Socialist Popular Alliance Party and Egyptian Socialists members told Egypt Independent that they are seriously considering backing Ali’s candidacy. “Up until now, the situation is unclear. Khaled may be our choice. Some are proposing a potential partnership between Khaled Ali and Abouel Fotouh [where Ali can run as his deputy]," said Marwa Farouk, a member of the Popular Alliance.[30] No party has endorsed Ali yet.[28]

Mohammed Salim Al-Awa

Mohammad Salim Al-Awa, an Islamic thinker, declared his candidacy on 14 June 2011.[31] The fact that Al-Awa and Aboul Fotouh belong to the same school of thought have led to press speculation about vote-splitting and the possibility of their uniting behind a single candidate. Aboul Fotouh has recognized this possibility.[22]

Hisham Bastawisy

Hisham Bastawisy is an Egyptian judge and the vice president of the Egyptian Court of Cassation. He was one of the leaders of the Egyptian opposition before and during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He is running for the Egyptian presidential elections as a representative of the National Progressive Unionist Party (Tagammu).

Abu Al-Izz Al-Hariri

Abu Al-Izz Al-Hariri is an Alexandria MP representing the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and the The Revolution Continues Alliance. He filed his application on 13 March 2012.

Amr Moussa

When asked about the rumors that he might run for the 2012 presidential elections, Amr Moussa refused to rule out the possibility of running for the office, leaving the door open to expectations. He argued that, "It's the right of every citizen that has the capacity and efficiency to aspire to any political office that would allow him to contribute to the service of his nation".[32] He further stated to the press that the qualities required of the President also apply to Gamal Mubarak, arguing that the citizenship, rights and obligations which apply to himself can also be applied to Gamal.[33] He also expressed appreciation for "the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the Egyptian presidency, and expressed that the message reached him.".[34]

On 27 February 2011 he announced he would be running for president saying "God willing, I will be one of them."[35]

Hamdeen Sabahi

Hamdeen Sabahi, the leader of the Nasserist Dignity Party officially filed his application on 6 April 2012.[36]

Ahmed Shafik

Ahmed Shafik officially launched his presidential campaign on 2 November 2011. He was the last Prime Minister appointed by Hosni Mubarak after the beginning of the 2011 revolution in January. He resigned only three weeks after the deposition of the longterm president.[37] Shafik claims to be on good terms with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.[38]

Shafik was first disqualified in the wake of the ratification of the Corruption of Political Life Law (aka the Disenfranchisement Law), which banned Mubarak era PMs from nomination.[39] He immediately appealed the decision and on April 25 the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) accepted his appeal, which puts him back in the race. [15]

 

 

Abdulla Alashaal, previous foreign minister assistant, retired ambassador. Authenticity Party nominee

Mahmoud Houssam, as an independent with the support of 30 000 voters. President of The Beginning Party.

Houssam Khairallah, Democratic Peace Party nominee

 

 

Source: Wikipedia