World     

Egypt's Islamist candidate to compete with ex-premier for presidency

Xinhua, May 27, 2012

• Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi will compete with ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in the run-off vote in June, results released by state media showed on Saturday.

  So far, there have been differences about the exact number of votes which each candidate won, as initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday by the Higher Presidential Elections Commission.

  However, all tallies, compiled by newspapers or websites, put Morsi and Shafiq in the lead. Both did not get the required percentage to be an outright winner, making them to enter the run- off round.

  Morsi got 5.45 million votes, or 24.9 percent. Shafiq obtained 5.34 million, or 24.4 percent, according to the Al-Masry Al-Youm website.

  Black-horse Nasserist Hamdeen Sabahi ranked the third with 4.62 million votes, or 21 percent. Moderate Aboul Fotouh and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, ranked the fourth and fifth respectively, with 17.8 percent and 11.3 percent. Fotouh and Moussa had been the top popular candidates in polls prior to the vote. Their weak showing was a bit surprising.

  The website of the official Ahram newspaper gave slightly different numbers of votes for the top five candidates, but their ranking was the same.

  The turnout of the vote is estimated around 50 percent, lower than the 60 percent of parliamentary elections earlier this year.

  Vote counting immediately started in polling stations after the voting ended on Thursday night. The counting was conducted at the presence of judges. Representatives of different candidates or civil society organizations were allowed to observe the counting process.

  A run-off between Morsi and Shafiq will divide people between the Islamic movement and remnants of former regime senior officials who are called "feloul" in Arabic.

  "I'm not satisfied with the results, not because Sabahi failed, but because of Shafiq's success," said Ahmed Abdallah, 25, a supporter of Sabahi. "This means the revolution failed."

  Heba Omar, a 25-year-old girl living in Cairo, said she did not expect such results and would not vote in the run-off.

  "We are really facing a hard choice. Voting for Shafiq means a new 'National Democratic Party (NDP).' Voting for Morsi means the MB (Muslim Brotherhood) could have all the state powers, which is equal to a new NDP."

  "I wonder why there is attack on Shafiq. This is what the polling boxes said," said Hala al-Nady, a supporter of Shafiq. " Political forces should accept the democratic results. In fact they do not want anything else but their own interests."

  "Shafiq's success doesn't mean the failure of the revolution or a return of the old regime. The old regime is dead now," defended Nady. "Shafiq will come up with new policies and thoughts. He is a statesman and wants to make something good for the state."

  Hamdy Hassan, a leading figure in the MB's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), told Xinhua he believed "the NDP is gathering his strength again and works behind the curtain to help Shafiq."

  "Now the competition is between revolutionists and anti- revolution groups," said Hassan, adding the FJP has invited the electoral campaign members for different candidates to meet for unity.

  "It's time for all political forces to be united again after a long time of separation," he said.

  Spokesperson of the Salafist movement Mohamed Nour affirmed the importance of working to support Morsi as the coming president against remnants of ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

  In a statement, he urged people to stop arguments and to stick to unity, adding "thank God we have a candidate in the run-off."

  Nader Bakar, spokesperson of the Salafist Nour Party, announced his support of Morsi by saying "our discipline necessitates to stand on the revolution side and support the person with the Islamic trend."

  In an effort to remove his image as part of Mubarak's regime and to attract more votes of the revolutionary youths and civil powers, Shafiq said "there is no place for recreating the former regime" and "Egypt has changed." He pledged to respect the people' s demands with justice and freedom.

  "I extend my hand to all to work for the interests of Egypt. I insist that Egypt is for all, either those who won or lost in the elections," Shafiq told a press conference on Saturday.

  He praised all candidates, saying" all competitors have the same objective which is to serve the nation, and after wrapping up the elections, nothing will remain but the mutual respect among all."

  "I call for a dialogue with all politicians whatever their different trends are, and for a coalition with the people not a particular group," Shafiq said.

  He vowed to achieve stability, social justice, comprehensive medical insurance for all, acceptable health care and complete development in education as mentioned in his electoral program.

  On Friday night, Shafiq said in a TV interview that he would not reject the appointment of a prime minister from the FJP which has the most seats in the parliament if he is elected president.

  However, some Islamic parties have already expressed their plans to unite against Shafiq.

  The Wasat Party said it would work with others to find ways to achieve the goals against the former regime. The supporters of Sabahi and Fotouh will be of great importance to the two candidates for success.

  The final results for the run-off will be announced on June 21. The ruling military council is expected to hand over power by June 30.

Copyright © China.org.cn. All Rights Reserved