CAIRO: The Cairo Administrative Court on Tuesday adjourned the presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail's lawsuit to the evening session. Abu Ismail demanded that the interior minister give him a certificate proving his mother only had Egyptian nationality. As stated in a law issued after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak, presidential candidates may only hold Egyptian citizenship, and their parents and spouses must only have Egyptian nationality. State-run news agency MENA reported earlier that Abu Ismail arrived at the court surrounded by more than 20 police officers, while his supporters stood outside the State Council building. News website elbadil.net reported that minor clashes erupted between police and Abu Ismail's supporters after the latter attempted to block traffic. According to AL-Masry Al-Youm, the supporters then stopped trying to block the road, chanting, “O mother of Abu Ismail, you're Egyptian” and “The people want Hazem Abu Ismail,” according to the report. Last week, a statement from the Presidential Elections Commission statement said the commission had received documents from the Foreign Ministry confirming that Nawal Abdel Aziz Nour, Abu Ismail's late mother, obtained American citizenship on 25 October 2006. The Foreign Ministry reportedly provided the Presidential Elections Commission with a photocopy of the application Nour submitted for American citizenship. In recent weeks, Abu Ismail's campaign posters have dominated public surfaces throughout Cairo, far outnumbering those of other candidates. He enjoys wide popularity, and some commentators believe he is the front-runner in the first presidential election since Mubarak's resignation. Abu Ismail advocates the establishment of an Islamic state that strictly applies Sharia. Supporters say they back Abu Ismail because they believe he will cleanse the country of corrupt officials who squandered public money. The presidential election is scheduled for 23 and 24 May.
