The Islamic thinker Mohamed Selim al-Awa officially declared his independent candidacy for presidency. He said he hesitated before taking this difficult decision, keeping in mind that it could lead him to a position where one mistake could be counted as 1000 ones. He took decision after consulting with politicians and intellectual friends in Egypt and abroad, and after a campaign by the youth called him to run for presidency, said al-Awa during a meeting at Rabeaa al-Adaweya mosque held by Egypt's Association for Culture and Dialogue. Al-Awa found there to be no contradiction between his declaration and the promulgation of the law regulating the presidential elections. He said that he will adopt the Egyptian Islamic project for the good of Egypt. He also said he will not exclude any group based on religious discrimination. The Vice President of the Muslim Centre Party, Essam Sultan, said his party will support Al-Awa. "We represent the heart of the intermediate school that Al-Awa and some other Islamic thinkers call for. This is our dream so we must stand by it to achieve it," said Sultan.
