44 percent of the members of the general assembly of al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya’s Building and Development Party are supporting Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh in the presidential election, according to an opinion survey. Only 25.8 percent of members support the Brotherhood’s designated candidate, Mohamed Morsi.
PROTESTS:
1) Several youth movements including April 6 and the National Association for Change announced that they will not participate in a demonstration organized by the Muslim Brotherhood for this Friday, April 27, saying that the Brotherhood’s self-serving protest is aimed at promoting its own political interests. [al-Masry al-Youm, English, 4/26/2012] [al-Masry al-Youm, Arabic, 4/26/2012]
ELECTIONS:
2) The Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) has announced the final slate of 13 presidential candidates competing in the upcoming election, including reinstated candidate Ahmed Shafiq. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, Amr Moussa, Mohamed Morsi, followed by the Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. The list also includes socialist candidate Abul-Ezz El-Hariri; Revolutionary Socialist candidate Khaled Ali; Islamist thinker Mohamed Selim El-Awa; reformist judge Hisham El-Bastawisi; former intelligence officer Hossam Khairallah; ex-police officer Mohamed Fawzy; Egypt Kanana Party candidate Mahmoud Hossam; and former foreign ministry official Abdullah El-Ashaal. [al-Ahram, English, 4/26/2012]
3) 44 percent of members of the general assembly of al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya’s Building and Development Party are supporting Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh in the presidential election, according to an opinion survey. Only 25.8 percent of members support the Brotherhood’s designated candidate, Mohamed Morsi. [al-Shorouk, Arabic, 4/26/2012]
4) Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has been allowed to re-enter the presidential race, one day after electoral authorities disqualified him following the approval of a new disenfranchisement law barring former regime members from running or public office. The Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) gave no explanation for accepting Shafiq’s appeal. Analysts predict the SCAF is likely favor Shafiq over the other leading non-Islamist candidate Amr Moussa. [al-Ahram, English, 4/26/2012]
5) A New York Times editorial expressed concern that Egypt is once again descending into turmoil as the country prepares for a landmark presidential election: “Egypt’s military-run government is running out of time to guarantee a fair and credible vote. Authorities need to finalize the list of candidates and decide where polling stations will be located, whether citizens must vote at specific stations, what rules the monitors must follow and how television airtime will be apportioned among candidates … The military has wasted the last year, deferring decisions or making bad ones. Economic problems are particularly acute: debt is mounting; currency reserves could soon be depleted; unemployment has skyrocketed.” [New York Times, English, 4/26/2012]
CIVIL SOCIETY:
6) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay warned that Egypt’s draft NGO law would tighten restrictions on civil society and women in particular. If implemented, it would be "a potentially serious blow to the human rights aspirations of fundamental freedoms for which so many Egyptians have struggled for so long and at such cost," Pillay said. [al-Masry al-Youm, English, 4/26/2012]
Photo Credit: al-Ahram
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