Egypt's presidential candidates lobby rivals for runoff support
Authors: Ramadan Al-Fatash and Nehal El-Sherif
Cairo (dpa) - Two rival Egyptian presidential candidates on Saturday reached out to their opponents for support in a runoff vote next month.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi will meet with political rivals who failed to make the runoff on Saturday to ask for their support against former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.
Unconfirmed election results indicate a runoff vote on June 16-17 between Morsi, who heads the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), and Shafiq, who served as the last premier under Hosny Mubarak.
"Egypt is in danger... The meeting is mainly aimed at blocking attempts being made to steal the revolution," FJP official Essam al-Erian said.
Many Egyptians, including secular leftists and members of the Christian minority, worry that a win by Shafiq, a former air force commander, will revive the Mubarak regime.
If Mosri, a conservative Islamist, wins, the Muslim Brotherhood would have greater control over state institutions. It already controls nearly half of the seats in parliament.
Shafiq has reached out for young revolutionaries. He has paid tribute to the "glorious revolution" that toppled Mubarak.
"To Egypt's youth ... the revolution was hijacked, and I promise to bring it back to you," Shafiq said, specifically mentioning the April 6 Youth movement and football fans, known as the Ultras, who had a major role in the popular revolt last year.
"I promise all Egyptians that we will begin a new era. There is no turning back. We will not re-produce the past," said Shafiq.
Members of the April 6 group ruled out any support for him.
"We have to choose between a monopoly over power and going back to the old regime. The two choices are very bad for us," said Ahmed Maher, co-founder of the group. "But certainly, we will not support Shafiq."
Maher said that they are waiting to see the result of the brotherhood's meetings with rival political groups before they announce their stance. "Either we boycott or support Morsi."
According to initial results, Morsi and Shafiq came on top in the election.
Estimates also showed that turnout was around 50 per cent over two days of voting.
Both candidates are now trying to appeal for voters who chose leftist Hamdeen Sabahy, who came third.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has been in charge since Mubarak's ouster in February 2011, has vowed to hand over power to the elected president by the end of June.
Cairo (dpa) - Two rival Egyptian presidential candidates on Saturday reached out to their opponents for support in a runoff vote next month.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi will meet with political rivals who failed to make the runoff on Saturday to ask for their support against former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.
Unconfirmed election results indicate a runoff vote on June 16-17 between Morsi, who heads the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), and Shafiq, who served as the last premier under Hosny Mubarak.
"Egypt is in danger... The meeting is mainly aimed at blocking attempts being made to steal the revolution," FJP official Essam al-Erian said.
Many Egyptians, including secular leftists and members of the Christian minority, worry that a win by Shafiq, a former air force commander, will revive the Mubarak regime.
If Mosri, a conservative Islamist, wins, the Muslim Brotherhood would have greater control over state institutions. It already controls nearly half of the seats in parliament.
Shafiq has reached out for young revolutionaries. He has paid tribute to the "glorious revolution" that toppled Mubarak.
"To Egypt's youth ... the revolution was hijacked, and I promise to bring it back to you," Shafiq said, specifically mentioning the April 6 Youth movement and football fans, known as the Ultras, who had a major role in the popular revolt last year.
"I promise all Egyptians that we will begin a new era. There is no turning back. We will not re-produce the past," said Shafiq.
Members of the April 6 group ruled out any support for him.
"We have to choose between a monopoly over power and going back to the old regime. The two choices are very bad for us," said Ahmed Maher, co-founder of the group. "But certainly, we will not support Shafiq."
Maher said that they are waiting to see the result of the brotherhood's meetings with rival political groups before they announce their stance. "Either we boycott or support Morsi."
According to initial results, Morsi and Shafiq came on top in the election.
Estimates also showed that turnout was around 50 per cent over two days of voting.
Both candidates are now trying to appeal for voters who chose leftist Hamdeen Sabahy, who came third.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has been in charge since Mubarak's ouster in February 2011, has vowed to hand over power to the elected president by the end of June.
Published on 26.05.2012
