CAIRO: Egypt's firebrand ultra-conservative Salafist Hazem Saleh Abu Ismail is ready to officially enter the presidential race. Known for his comments toward women in recent months where he has called for the headscarf to be worn by all, no make-up and no bikinis on beaches, Abu Ismail officially garnered the 100,000 signatures needed to run for president, his campaign said. Abu Ismail will become an official presidential candidate and can run his campaign beginning Friday, as his support campaign announced on Saturday that he had garnered 100,000 recommendations from citizens in different governorates as stipulated by the Egyptian Law for Presidential Elections. The campaign also reported that Abu Ismail managed to earn 40 recommendations for his nomination from members of the Parliament. A statement by his campaign said that Abu Ismail “will submit the recommendations of the citizens and mandates of the MPs both on Friday,” stressing that the candidate would not be an ordinary competitor in the presidential race, “but will be a fierce competitor that could spring a surprise” in the upcoming vote, “as he excelled in the political game and has garnered a broad base of supporters.” Egypt's presidential vote is to take place May 23-24 with a potential run-off set for June if needed. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/N3KmC Tags: Abu Ismail, Egypt, Elections, featured, President, Salaftist Section: Egypt, Latest News
