Egyptian parliament is to investigate claims that former chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman used security connections to pressure citizens into completing endorsement papers for his presidential bid The Egyptian parliament will schedule a date to launch an inquiry looking into allegations of forgery surrounding the endorsement papers submitted by presidential hopeful and former vice president Omar Suleiman. According to a complaint submitted by Member of Parliament (MP) Mohamed Ashmawy, Suleiman's campaign put pressure on citizens across Egypt's various governorates to complete the official endorsement papers for the ex-head of intelligence. The Supreme Presidential Elections Commission (SPEC) stipulates that candidates must secure the support of 30 elected MPs or recommendations of 30,000 voters from at least 15 Egyptian governorates with no less than 1000 recommendations per governorate. Alternatively candidates can be officially nominated by a party holding at least one seat in the legislature. "[Suleiman] used both the security and intelligence apparatuses to pressure citizens and their relatives [to make him the recommendations]," Ashmway said in Monday's parliamentary session. On Saturday, the SPEC disqualified ten contenders from Egypt's anticipated presidential elections including Suleiman, Salafist poster-boy Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail and Muslim Brotherhood leading figure Khairat El-Shater. The SPEC is expected to announce its decision on Suleiman's appeal Tuesday.
