Egypt's presidential race heats up ahead of campaign blackout

Sunday, May 20, 2012 9:49 PM 
Presidential candidates - Reuters/Personal campaigns

Three days before Egyptians are set to cast their vote in the country's first post-Mubarak elections, presidential candidates are making last-ditch attempts to convince fence-sitting voters. As part of this frenzied campaign wrap-up, presidential contenders will submit themselves to hours of television programmes and press conferences on Sunday, the last day of official campaigning.

Mohamed Selim El-Awa will speak as a guest on several televised programmes on Sunday. He will appear on Al-Nas (The People) satellite channel between 7pm – 8pm, Al-Hayat (Life) TV Channel from 8:30pm - 9:30pm as well as CBC from 10pm – 11pm. 

Nasserist presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi aims to maintain a campaign presence everywhere at once in Cairo. A rally for Sabbahi will kick off his last day of campaigning at his headquarters in Mohandessin at 12pm, weaving through different districts around Cairo until he reaches Mattariya Square, in the eastern part of the city, where he will hold a press conference. Meanwhile, different members of Sabbahi’s campaign will organise several motorcades and human chains around different governorates. In the evening, Sabbahi will speak on DreamTV at 8pm, Orbit Channel at 9:30pm and Al-Hayat TV Channel at 11pm.

Mubarak's former foreign minister, Mursi, will hold a press conference at his campaign headquarters at 2:30pm to announce the latest endorsement of his bid for Egypt's presidency. In the evening, Moussa will appear on Al-Hayat, Dream2 and Orbit satellite channels, although his campaign did not list when.

Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate, will be in Port Said for a rally before returning to Cairo for an evening event. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party hold the most seats in parliament and together with other Islamist forces command a majority.

Mubarak's former aviation minister and last premier, Ahmed Shafiq, returns to Cairo on Sunday, wrapping up a three-day visit to Upper Egypt. His campaign team says he has no scheduled events on this last day of permitted campaigning.

Egypt's first post-Mubarak presidential poll will be held on 23/24 May, with a runoff vote on 16/17 June if no single candidate wins an outright majority. Egypt's next president will be formally named on 21 June.

This content is from : El Ahram
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