Archive for Abdel Moneim

Wednesday’s papers: Presidential runoff heats up

by admin
May 30th, 2012

Arrests following the Monday night fire at presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq’s campaign headquarters and political concessions promised by his competitor, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsy, lead Wednesday’s papers.

Independent newspaper Al-Shorouk writes that the Muslim Brotherhood is advocating a presidential council and a coalition government headed by Mohamed ElBaradei, who was himself expected to be a contender in the presidential race until he withdrew.

Freedom and Justice Party lawmakers Mohamed al-Beltagy and Helmy al-Gazzar have offered former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh the vice president position, the paper reports, citing a Brotherhood source. The source also reportedly said no more than 12 ministers would be appointed from within the Islamist organization’s ranks and that the rest would come from other parties. The Muslim Brotherhood is witnessing increased anxiety due to the election and the potential for a coup aimed at destroying the group should Morsy win the presidency, Al-Shorouk reported the source as saying.

State-run Al-Ahram writes that Morsy has vowed to include a number of former presidential candidates, Copts, women and youth in his administration.  

Morsy will face off against Shafiq in the 16 and 17 June runoff after the two finished on top of the first round vote last week.

After the results were officially announced Monday, protesters set fire to Shafiq’s campaign headquarters in Dokki. Al-Shorouk reports that four people have been arrested in connection with the fire, including Bahaa Abdel Azim, a member of the Democratic Front Party; Ahmed Fathy, a member of the Adl Party; and Sultan Fares.

Mostafa Abdel Aziz, a member of the Shafiq campaign, said he received a 9 pm anonymous phone call warning him that protesters planned to burn down the office. He also alleged that a number of laptops and important documents were stolen. During investigations, the accused purportedly alleged that activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and his sister Mona were behind the fire, according to Al-Shorouk.

State-run Al-Ahram newspaper reports that investigations into the arson continue and that police are working to arrest 15 suspects. Police used a video they received from an eyewitness to identify the accused. 

Freedom and Justice, the FJP paper, leads this morning with Morsy endorsements from the Islamic Forces Coalition and the head of the Salafi-oriented Nour Party, Emad Abdel Ghafour. The paper also highlights a Foreign Policy magazine article saying Morsy is the more likely candidate to keep the military in check, leaving out all the critical words published about the Brotherhood and its candidate.

In an interview with political thinker and former Health Minister Helmy al-Hadidy, state-run Al-Akhbar writes that he viewed the presidential election as calm despite bribery in the form of handing cooking oil and sugar to voters. Hadidy said democracy is a big issue and that Egypt hasn’t yet taken its first step toward it. He said the second round would be rough due to the conflict between the Muslim Brotherhood and “feloul,” a word used to describe remnants of the Mubarak regime.

Hadidy said democracy is impossible as long as half the population is illiterate and 40 percent of it remains below the poverty line, adding that Egypt will experience real democracy when the presidential symbols are canceled and voters can read the name of their candidate.

Egypt’s papers:

Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt

Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size

Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run

Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run

Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned

Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned

Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned

Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party

Youm7: Daily, privately owned

Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned

Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party

Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned

Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party

Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party

Tags: , , , ,
Categories Local Press
Comments (0)

Abouel Fotouh leads presidential race abroad

by admin
May 18th, 2012

Preliminary results of expatriate voting in the presidential election show that moderate Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh is leading the field.

Egyptian Ambassador to Austria Khaled Shamaa said in a statement Friday that Abouel Fotouh came in first with 223 votes, Amr Moussa finished second with 171 votes, Hamdeen Sabbahi third with 129 votes, Mohamed Morsy fourth with 111 votes, and Ahmed Shafiq fifth with 109 votes. Khaled Ali garnered 12 votes while Mohamed Selim al-Awa had six.

The Egyptian Ambassador to the US, Sameh Shokry, announced that Abouel Fotouh leads the race in the US with 882 votes, followed by Moussa with 664 votes, and Sabbahi with 661 votes. Shafiq received 454 votes, Morsy received 300 votes, and Ali and Awa garnered 49 votes each. Hesham al-Batawisi received four votes followed by Abul Ezz al-Hariry with two.

Abouel Fotouh also finished first in Germany with 647 votes, followed by Sabbahi with 476 votes and Morsy with 199 votes. Moussa garnered 177 votes, Shafiq 76 votes, Ali 40 votes and Awa 25 votes.

In Yemen, Egyptian Ambassador Ashraf Aql announced that Morsy came in first with 109 votes, followed by Abouel Fotouh with 72 votes and Moussa with 37 votes. Sabbahi received 31 votes, Shafiq 30 votes, Awa 12 votes, Batawisi 5 votes and finally Ali 2 votes.

In Sudan, the Egyptian Embassy announced that Morsy ranked first with 241 votes, followed by Abouel Fotouh with 139 votes and Sabbahi with 112 votes. Moussa received 61 votes, Shafiq 43 votes, Ali seven votes, Awa five votes and Batawisi one vote.

Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum added that voter turnout was less than 50 percent as 1,339 voters registered for the elections but only 611 participated. One ballot out of 611 was invalid, a statement from the embassy said.

Egypt's Embassy in Paris announced that Sabbahi finished first with 687 votes, followed by Shafiq with 667 votes and Abouel Fotouh with 652 votes. Moussa received 579 votes, Morsy 371 votes, Ali 32 votes, Awa 29 votes, Batawisi 28 votes, and finally Hariry three votes.

Edited translation from MENA
 

Tags: , , , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

US calls Egypt presidential debate ‘healthy,’ confirms neutrality toward candidates

by admin
May 12th, 2012

The United States on Friday welcomed Egypt's televised presidential debate as a "good and healthy thing," while implicitly urging the candidates to respect the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.

Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister and Arab League chief, squared off with Islamist candidate Abdel Moneim Abuoel Fotouh for nearly four hours late into the night on Thursday.

"It's a good and healthy thing that they're having a debate," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

The candidates clashed on health, employment and education as well as how big a role Islam should play in Egyptian politics or whether a former member of the government of overthrown leader Hosni Mubarak should become president.

The two also debated foreign policy, and both agreed the country's 1979 peace treaty with Israel had to be revised though not annulled.

Abouel Fotouh, who used to organize aid convoys to the Palestinian Gaza Strip, said he considered Israel "an enemy" while Moussa said Egypt has "disputes" with the Jewish state over its treatment of Palestinians.

"We're not going to get into the back and forth of what's happening in a campaign," Nuland said when asked to react to the criticism of Israel.

"People say things in a campaign and then when they get elected they actually have to govern," Nuland said.

"We've made absolutely clear where we are on these elections.

"We want to see free, fair, transparent elections, and we want to see whomever is elected represent the best interests of all Egyptians, the human rights, democracy, constitutional rights of all Egyptians," she said.

"As we have said to all of the candidates that we've spoken with, we believe that it is in the best interest of Egypt to maintain its existing arrangements and regional responsibilities with neighbors," she added, alluding to the peace treaty.

Tags: , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

Nour Party endorses Abouel Fotouh for president

by admin
April 29th, 2012

The Salafi Nour Party announced its official endorsement of presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh Saturday evening.

Nour Party authorities arrived at the decision to support Abouel Fotouh after voting during a meeting on Saturday, according to a Nour Party source. Among the top-ranking members, he said, eight of the eleven supported Abouel Fotouh, the remaining three were in favor of candidate Mohamed Selim al-Awa.

The parliamentary body of the party voted in favor of Abouel Fotouh, while the rest were spit between Awa and Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy.

Members of the Alexandria-based ultra-conservative movement Salafi Dawah also voiced their support for Abouel Fotouh after an internal vote. Abouel Fotouh took 121 of the members’ votes, Morsy 26, and Awa 3.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

Nour Party endorses Fotouh for president

by admin
April 29th, 2012

The Salafi Nour Party announced its official endorsement of presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh Saturday evening.

Nour Party authorities arrived at the decision to support Fotouh after voting during a meeting on Saturday, according to a Nour Party source. Among the top-ranking members, he said, eight of the eleven supported Fotouh, the remainig three were in favor of candidate Muhammad Salim Al-Awa.

The parliamentary bodyof the party voted in favor of Fotouh, while the rest were spit between Salim Al-Awa, and Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy.

Members of the Alexandria-based ultra-conservative movement Salafi Dawah also voiced their support for Fotouh,  after an internal vote. Fotouh took 121 of the members’ votes, Morsy 26, and Awa 3.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Tags: , , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

Abu Ismail supporters will vote for Morsy, says senior Brotherhood figure

by admin
April 15th, 2012

 

Supporters of recently excluded Salafi presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail will vote for the head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party, a senior Brotherhood member said Sunday.

“If Abu Ismail and Khairat al-Shater [another excluded presidential hopeful and Brotherhood senior adviser] are excluded from the race, the votes of Abu Ismail’s supporters will go to Mohamed Morsy,” said Brotherhood Shura Council member Ahmed Abdel Rahman, referring to the president of the Freedom and Justice Party.

The Presidential Elections Commission announced on Saturday it would exclude Abu Ismail, Shater and eight other hopefuls. It said they would be given 48 hours to appeal the decision with the commission.

Abdel Rahman told Al-Masry Al-Youm Morsy has a great chance to win, and that he is a respectful person with experience that qualifies him to be a successful leader.

“Mohamed Morsy and Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh [a former Brotherhood leader] will have great chances after exclusion of Abu Ismail,” said Mokhtar al-Ashry, head of the FJP’s legal committee, mentioning that Amr Moussa and Ahmed Shafiq will be their main competitors.

However, Haitham Abu Khalil, a former Brotherhood leading figure, called on the group to withdraw Morsy’s candidacy for the sake of the country.

Abu Khalil told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Morsy has a negative relationship with the group’s youth wing and that it would not be in the Brotherhood’s best interest for Morsy to run.

While Shater had a weak chance of winning, Morsy’s chances are nonexistent, he added.

Bahaa Neimatallah, a member of the group’s youth wing, said “Morsy doesn’t have charisma like Shater.

“For Brotherhood members, he is the group’s candidate,” he added. “They don’t see difference between Shater or Morsy because they consider the group’s candidate to be not a person but the whole group, and think that the candidate doesn’t represent a personal project but one of the group.”

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Tags: , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

Abu Ismail’s mother entered Egypt in 2009 on a US passport, say sources

by admin
April 2nd, 2012

Presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail's mother entered Egypt on an American passport in August 2009, according to a report allegedly delivered to Egypt's Presidential Elections Commission.

The Salafi-oriented candidate would be excluded from competing in the election if it is proven that his mother is or was American, even if she waived her citizenship, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The sources added that the report did not indicate if his mother carried a permanent or temporary passport. They explained that a temporary passport does not require US citizenship.

The report also said that Abu Ismail and fellow candidate Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh do not hold a second nationality, but that the former's brother and sister do.

In a statement on Abu Ismail's Facebook page on Sunday, he said his sister holds US citizenship because she is married to an American citizen and has been living there for 23 years. He denied that his mother is American.

"My mother has a green card but did not get US citizenship,” he wrote, adding that he would take legal action against any claims contrary to the truth.

Commission Secretary General Hatem Bagato said he has not received any official response from security services or the Foreign Ministry on the nationalities of the presidential candidates, said a judicial source within the commission. Also speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the committee received informal information that Abu Ismail’s mother is American, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

The source also said Abu Ismail can run in the election if his wife relinquishes her foreign nationality, and that his other family members would be free to retain their citizenship.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Tags: , , , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)

Main suspect in Abouel Fotouh assault arrested

by admin
February 27th, 2012

Security services in Qalyubiya arrested the main suspect in the armed robbery of presidential hopeful Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh Monday .

The suspect, Mohamed Nabih Abdel Samie, admitted that he and another four men robbed Abouel Fotouh.

“Our intention was to steal, not target him in particular,” he said, giving prosecutors the names of his accomplices.

Qalyubiya Security Director Ahmed al-Naghy said the suspect is part of a crime gang including more than 14 others who are hiding in the governorate.

“Arresting him was part of a wider campaign to comb the area,” he said, adding that the campaign succeeded in arresting eight ex-convicts trafficking drugs and arms after exchanging fire for two hours. “We seized drugs and three stolen cars,” he said.

Abouel Fotouh was attacked and robbed by gunmen at 11 pm Thursday evening on his way home from an election rally at Shebein al-Koam in Monufiya Governorate.

Masked men in a Mitsubishi stopped Abouel Fotouh's car and assaulted the driver. When Abouel Fotouh tried to stop them, one of the assailants hit him in the head with the back of a machine gun and took his car, leaving him and the driver on the road.

Abouel Fotouh was transferred to the New Cairo Hospital in the Fifth Settlement where he received treatment. He was released Friday morning.

Tags: , ,
Categories Egypt, Egypt Top Stories
Comments (0)