• Latest
  • Trending
Egypt’s Presidential Race Loses Popular Candidate

Egypt’s Presidential Race Loses Popular Candidate

January 8, 2018
Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia

Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia

March 1, 2021
Karma the Hollywood curse

Karma the Hollywood curse

March 1, 2021
Hyatt Hotels responds to calls for boycotts over hosting CPAC

Hyatt Hotels responds to calls for boycotts over hosting CPAC

March 1, 2021
Explosion strikes Israeli ship in Mideast raises tension

Explosion strikes Israeli ship in Mideast raises tension

February 28, 2021
Can Asia help Myanmar find a way out of coup crisis?

Can Asia help Myanmar find a way out of coup crisis?

February 28, 2021
Athens Travel destination post Covid

Athens Travel destination post Covid

February 27, 2021
Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

February 27, 2021
Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

February 27, 2021
Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

February 20, 2021
Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting

Indonesian billionaire family in the crosshairs of corruption reporting

February 11, 2021
Greenpeace: A threat to national security?

Greenpeace: A threat to national security?

February 10, 2021
Myanmar’s military takes power detains Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s military takes power detains Suu Kyi

February 2, 2021
citizendaily
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Friday, March 5, 2021
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
citizendaily
No Result
View All Result

Egypt’s Presidential Race Loses Popular Candidate

January 8, 2018
in Middle East, Politics
0
Home World News Middle East
Post Views: 408

 

CAIRO —  The strongest challenger to Egypt’s military-backed leader withdrew from the country’s presidential race on Sunday, with his lawyer saying the government had forced him to drop out.

The candidate, Ahmed Shafik, a former Air Force general who narrowly lost the country’s only free presidential election in 2012, was deported back to Egypt from the United Arab Emirates in December, just days after announcing his intention to run in the 2018 election.

Shortly after his arrival, Mr. Shafik called a popular television show, on which he denied news reports about his deportation and said that he was reconsidering his bid for president. On Sunday, Mr. Shafik put an end to the guesswork over his candidacy with a terse statement on Twitter, saying, “After reviewing the situation, I realized I am not the best person to manage state affairs in the coming period.”

RelatedPosts

No Content Available

بياني الى شعب مصر العظيم، بشأن قراري عدم الترشح للانتخابات الرئاسية المقبلة. pic.twitter.com/snxpnEUiFK

— أحمد شفيق (@AhmedShafikEG) January 7, 2018

His exit from the race reinforced popular concerns over the integrity of the presidential election, which is set to take place this spring. Mr. Shafik, 76, could not be immediately reached for comment on Sunday, but one of the lawyers representing him said that the Egyptian government had coerced him into withdrawing by threatening to investigate old corruption charges against him. They lawyer spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the subject’s sensitivity.

The lawyer’s account was broadly confirmed by audio recordings of telephone calls by an Egyptian intelligence officer, which were obtained by The New York Times. During one of those calls, the officer, Capt. Ashraf al-Kholi, cautioned a television presenter against attacking Mr. Shafik on his show because the government was “still in talks” with him. “If he decides to be with us, then he is one of the former leaders of the armed forces, you got it?” Mr. Kholi said; but if he doesn’t, “we will curse his father’s forebears.”

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who rose to power after overthrowing Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist president, in 2013, has yet to announce his candidacy, but he is expected to run, and critics worry that he will try to exclude any real competitors.  Two other candidates who have entered the race are currently facing charges that many believe are politically motivated. If they are convicted, they will be ineligible to run.

Since returning to Cairo from the United Arab Emirates a few weeks ago, Mr. Shafik has spent most of his time in a suite at a luxury hotel in Cairo, declining to give interviews while Egyptian politicians and ordinary people wondered whether he was under arrest. His relatives and aides said that he was not allowed to speak to anyone nor go anywhere without the permission of Egypt’s security agencies.

Even though he prospered in the era of Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted from power in 2011 by a popular uprising, Mr. Shafik has a large base of supporters in Egypt. His military record, and name recognition, may have made him a strong candidate.

He fought in Egypt’s two wars with Israel, in 1967 and 1973, and rose to command the Air Force. As minister of civil aviation, a post he held for a decade beginning in 2001, he oversaw the modernization and development of the national airline and the Cairo airport.

In a bid to bolster his support during his last days in power in 2011, Mr. Mubarak promoted Mr. Shafik to prime minister in the hope that he could resolve the crisis brought about by a popular uprising. Mr. Shafik lost the presidential election to Mr. Morsi the next year by only about 2 percent of the vote. To some of his supporters, Mr. Shafik was seen as a candidate who could have helped restore the stability they enjoyed before the Arab Spring erupted.

The Egyptian government has been overseeing a harsh crackdown on opponents since 2013. Hundreds have been killed in street protests and thousands jailed. Militant attacks, many by the Islamic State, have multiplied since, dealing multiple blows to the country’s economy.

 

Source :
NYTimes
Tags: Ahmed ShafikAhmed Shafik 2018 CandidacyAhmed Shafik Egypt
Previous Post

Golden Globes 2018: All The Winners

Next Post

Broken water pipe floods terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded

Related Posts

Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia
Bilateral

Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia

March 1, 2021
Explosion strikes Israeli ship in Mideast raises tension
Asia News

Explosion strikes Israeli ship in Mideast raises tension

February 28, 2021
Can Asia help Myanmar find a way out of coup crisis?
ASEAN

Can Asia help Myanmar find a way out of coup crisis?

February 28, 2021
Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities
ASEAN

Enforcing Regulations for Forest Risk Commodities

February 27, 2021
Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea
ASEAN

Police Scotland offered oil rig to train for protest-plagued North Sea

February 27, 2021
Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles
Asia News

Young car enthusiasts spend $7.2 billion a year customizing vehicles

February 20, 2021
Next Post
Broken water pipe floods terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded

Broken water pipe floods terminal at New York's JFK Airport, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded

Translate

Subscription

Popular Post

Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia
Bilateral

Putin May Have Triggered an Attempted Coup in Armenia

March 1, 2021
0

  Moscow (27/2).         Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that his nation’s military had attempted a...

Read more

NGOs call for mass boycott of palm oil giant IOI

June 29, 2016
No peace for Greenpeace

No peace for Greenpeace

July 1, 2016

The Case Against Greenpeace

July 1, 2016
Children in ISIS Nusantara Media Outreach

Children in ISIS Nusantara Media Outreach

July 2, 2016
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

citizendaily.news is part of the citizen Daily Media Group LLC, which delivers daily news around the globe. ​

© 2012 The Citizen Daily

No Result
View All Result
  • Asia News
    • Northeast Asia
      • China
      • Japan
    • North Korea
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • South Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Pakistan
    • Southeast Asia
      • Indonesia
      • Malaysia
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
    • Latin America
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
      • Gulf States
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Syria
    • North America
      • Canada
      • United States
    • Russian Federation
  • Economy
    • Brexit
    • Free Market
  • Politics
    • ASEAN
    • Diplomacy
    • ISIS
    • National Defence & Security
  • Editorial
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Forests
    • Water & Oceans
    • Wildlife & Endangered Species
  • Lifestyle
    • Books & Literature
    • Entertainment
    • Food & Dining
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Tech
  • Sports

© 2012 The Citizen Daily