Ex-presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi will not take part in any presidential council, although he supports the idea, he said at a popular conference in Shohdaa (martyrs) Square in downtown Alexandria on Wednesday evening.

He insisted that he will not accept any post in government with either of the runoff candidates. Competing in the second round of the election are the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi and ex-Mubarak premier Ahmed Shafiq. The runoff is scheduled for June 16 - 17.

Sabahi, who came third in the first round of the race, added that the votes he garnered from Alexandria represent the revolution and he owes Alexandrians for giving him the majority of votes.

He insisted that he will not tell his supporters who to vote for in the runoff because the people are the leader. He called on his campaign to continue working until their dream comes true.

He claimed that while his presidential campaign was the poorest between all candidates, he was able to gain people's support as they felt he was one of them and shares their suffering.

Sabahi denied allegations that he met with Shafiq, insisting that he does not intend on meeting him. He pushed for the political exclusion law to be applied. The parliament-proposed law was drafted to disqualify ex-Mubarak aides from running for office.

The leftist ex-contender stressed on the importance of defending the blood of martyrs and proceeding with the revolution's demands.
 
Sabahi's visit to Alexandria came in light of commemorating Alexandrian 28-year-old Khaled Saeed on the the second anniversary of his death. Saeed's mother attended the conference alongside activists and members of Sabahi's campaign in Alexandria.

Thousands across the country participated in events commemorating the martyr whose death sparked the wave of raged protests that eventually led to 2011's uprising that toppled Mubarak's 30-year old rule.