The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced it will accept applications from candidates seeking to stand in the presidential election between 20 and 29 January. NEC head Lasheen Ibrahim said hopeful candidates can register between 9am and 6pm at the commission's headquarters in Cairo's Qasr Al-Aini Street. “In order to be eligible to stand hopeful candidates must be endorsed by at least 20 elected MPs, or 25,000 eligible voters drawn from a minimum of 15 governorates, with at least 1,000 endorsements per governorate,” said Ibrahim. “The NEC has authorised 390 public notaries across Egypt to certify the required endorsements.” NEC Spokesperson Mahmoud Al-Sherif said candidates will be required to “submit a certificate from the General Administration of Specialised Medical Councils which is affiliated with the Ministry of Health confirming they are physically and mentally fit”. He added that “hopefuls must also certify that they have performed their military service, are born to Egyptian parents and are more than 40 years old on registration day.” Voters who want to cast their ballot in a governorate that is not the one in which they are registered must apply to do so before 28 February, said Al-Sherif. “They will have to submit a written request to a first-instance court in the relevant governorate and can do so daily between 9am and 6pm.” So far just three candidates have said they will stand, Zamalek Sporting Club Chairman Mortada Mansour, former chief of staff Sami Anan and human rights lawyer Khaled Ali. Mansour, elected chairman of Zamalek Club for the second time in December, is a sitting MP. He told parliamentary reporters that he will begin collecting endorsements on Sunday. “I know that more than 500 MPs have decided to endorse President [Abdel-Fattah] Al-Sisi but I will do my best to collect signatures from the remaining MPs,” said Mansour. “I have a strong presidential platform that will help Egypt overcome all of its problems, particularly unemployment and drug addiction. If I am elected president the first thing I will do is shut down Facebook and Twitter because they lead to the spread of extremist thought and incidents of divorce.” Anan may appear a more credible candidate but like Mansour he lacks grass-root backing in Egypt's governorates which will make it difficult to collect the necessary 25,000 endorsements, says political analyst and former independent MP Gamal Zahran. Sami Hafez Anan was military chief of staff between 2005 and 2012 when he was forced to retire by Mohamed Morsi. Anan's Masr Al-Orouba Party failed to win any seats in the 2015 parliamentary election. Like Mansour, Anan opted not to contest the 2014 poll and instead supported Al-Sisi. Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat, head of the Reform and Development Party, announced on Monday he would not be contesting the poll. “I decided not to stand in the face of negative developments in the election atmosphere,” said Al-Sadat. “Instead I will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of citizens and promoting their welfare. I do this in the hope a day will come when the public will determine their fate and participate in ruling their country.” Al-Sadat sent a letter to Parliamentary Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal last week asking to be allowed to gather endorsements from MPs in parliament. The request was rejected on the grounds Al-Sadat could do this anywhere. MPs interviewed by Al-Ahram Weekly denied that Al-Sadat had contacted them in the hope of winning endorsements. “I have not had any contacts from Al-Sadat. It seems that he had hoped to secure the support of 20 MPs and when these were dashed he opted to withdraw from the contest,” said leftist MP Samir Ghattas. Khaled Ali announced he would contest the poll on 11 January and called on “the generation of the 25 January Revolution to provide the 25,000 endorsements necessary”. Informed sources say Ali is also trying to get the support of MPs. It is widely expected that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi will officially declare his intention to stand tomorrow, 19 February, at the end of a three-day conference highlighting the achievements of his first four years in office. Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said on Monday the conference reflects Al-Sisi's keenness to discuss national issues and economic development plans with ordinary citizens, particularly young people. “The conference will include a number of roundtables and public sessions during which statistics and data from the last four years will be presented and future challenges discussed,” said Radi. “President Al-Sisi will also answer in person all the questions received from citizens between 10 and 15 January as part of the Ask the President initiative.” Even before he officially declares his nomination Al-Sisi has the endorsement of 510 out of a total 596 MPs. The 14-member 25-30 group of MPs led by Haitham Al-Hariri says it will announce which candidate it is backing after registration closes on 29 January. NEC Spokesperson Al-Sherif announced at a press conference on Tuesday that “412,000 endorsements were certified by public notaries in eight days.” “The overwhelming interest of citizens to endorse candidates has led the NEC to increase the number of public notaries to certify the endorsements.” Al-Sherif also said 29 local and international organisations have expressed interest in monitoring the poll. “The requests are being reviewed. The NEC is keen that as many local and international media outlets participate in covering the ballot as possible,” he said.
