NEA to stop accepting objections of candidates on Friday

CAIRO – 2 February 2018: The National Election Authority (NEA) headed by Judge Lashen Ibrahim stopped accepting candidates’ objections of other candidates in the race on Friday at 5 a.m. and has not received objections from any candidates.

According to the schedule set for the electoral process, the NEA will examine the candidacy applications of the presidential candidates and review objections in case a candidate submits an objection against another candidate. If any candidate is dismissed from the race, he should be informed of the dismissal decision and the reasons behind it on February 6.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Chairperson of El-Ghad Party Moussa Mostafa Moussa are the only announced potential candidates for the presidential election due in March.

More than 900,000 Egyptians signed endorsement forms for Sisi to run for a second term as Egypt's president, as announced by his legal adviser on Monday. However, Moussa received endorsements from 26 members of Parliament, the majority of whom represent Menoufia governorate, in order to announce his official presidential bid.

Five candidates who announced their intentions to run for the presidency have dropped out. Former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, rights lawyer Khaled Ali, Parliamentarian Mortada Mansour, and Esmat al-Sadat, nephew of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat, withdrew from the race. Former Military Chief of Staff Sami Anan, who is still under military call-up service, is held by the military over accusations of forgery, as he announced running in the presidential election without gaining prior permission from the Armed Forces.

Voting in the 2018 presidential election in Egypt will commence on March 26, as announced by the NEA on January 8. Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election between March 26 and 28 in Egypt, while Egyptians living abroad will vote between March 16 and 18.