Egypt rejects any brotherhood presidential candidate

Former Presidential Candidate and prominent politician Hamdeen Sabahi announced that he will not support any candidate afflicted or supported to the banned group of the Muslim Brotherhood in the upcoming presidential election due next year, Masr Times reported on Saturday.

Sabbahi said that he would support any veteran political figure belonging to the civil movement or the opposition in general, provided that the candidate must not be one of the banned groups or supported by it.

He made it clear that the civil movement of political parties has not yet announced its support for a specific candidate.

Sabbahi’s comments came after Ayman Nour, the fugitive politician who is supported by the Muslim Brotherhood, announced in a previous statement that he met Ahmed Tantawi, the former head of the Karama Party and a potential candidate in the Egyptian presidential elections.

Journalist Mustafa Bakri hinted that Tantawi wants to bring back the Muslim Brotherhood to the political scene if he wins the presidential election.

For his part, head of the Reform and Ennahda Party Hesham Abdel-Aziz said that supporting any candidate, who welcomes the return of the brotherhood, is a betrayal of “martyrs” of terrorism that occurred during the June 30 Revolution, Tahia Masr reported on Saturday.

Several leading figures from renowned political parties have also announced plans to run for elections, including Abdel-Sanad Yamama, head of the El-Wafd Party; and Hazem Oman, head of the People’s Republican Party.