Hamdeen Sabbahi will not be attending a meeting between Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsy and other candidates, to plan a strategy for the run-off presidential election against rival Ahmed Shafiq. Morsy's campaign announced the meeting following preliminary results yesterday showed a strong showing in polls for the Brotherhood candidate following two days of voting in Egypt's presidential election. Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, another rival candidate, has not issued a decision on whether he is attending or not, said Yasser Ali, the spokesman for the Morsy campaign. But earlier Friday on his confirmed Twitter account, Fotouh said that he would continue to fight for the ideals of the revolution, but hinted that was not necessarily prepared to ally himself. “We look forward to reaching a consensus to confront the remnants of the old regime, and that will guarantee the realization of the demands of the revolution…,” he wrote. “We state clearly that we will not be party to a deal that dictates positions.” Ali said during the meeting Morsy and the other candidates will decide on a strategy for the run-off, scheduled for 16 and 17 June. Many have called for all political movements to unite behind Morsy to oppose Shafiq, former aviation minister and prime minister under former President Hosni Mubarak. Ali said any agreement reached in the meeting will be announced in a press release after its completion. Held at the Kempinski hotel in Cairo, an Egypt Independent correspondent said the meeting included Morsy, Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Essam al-Erian and Safwat Hegazy, a conservative Islamist preacher and former candidate, and fellow Islamist candidate Selim al-Awa. Also in attendance were Essam Sultan of and Abul Ela El-Mady from the Wasat party. The Nour party is not officially attending but apparently is sending someone to monitor the meeting. Neither Hamdeen Sabahy nor Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh were present at the start of the meeting.
