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This election will only be the second presidential contest in Egypt’s history with more than one candidate on the ballot.
Why were candidates disqualified?
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A poster in Egypt advertises a presidential candidate. Ten candidates were recently disqualified for not meeting certain requirements to run, sparking criticism and protests. |
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The charges against disqualified candidates ranged in severity, but the elimination of the three front-runners have received the most attention. Hazem Abu Ismail, an ultra-conservative preacher, was disqualified amid claims that his mother was a dual Egyptian and American citizen, which violates Egyptian law. Khairat el-Shater of the Muslim Brotherhood party, who many voters saw as the most qualified, was eliminated because he used to be a political prisoner. Some Egyptians cheered the disqualification of Omar Suleiman, Mubarak’s former spy chief, because they found Suleiman too close to the old regime.
Ultraconservative voters were especially angered at the disqualifications because they felt their candidates had been targeted unfairly. The elimination of ten candidates leaves the field of presidential hopefuls with very moderate political beliefs, including Amr Moussa, a longtime diplomat. The Muslim Brotherhood will likely nominate another less conservative candidate to fill the void left by their candidate’s disqualification.
A more conservative Egypt
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Members of Egypt's conservative Muslim Brotherhood party believe in governing according to Islamic law. |
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The conservative Muslim Brotherhood party has risen to national prominence and has seen its poll numbers soar in post-Mubarak Egypt. The once-outlawed group played a major role in writing the country’s new constitution and won nearly half the seats in the new Parliament following elections in February. After promising that it would not run a candidate for president, it turned around and announced just that in March.
Other countries, including the U.S., are keeping a close eye on Egypt’s elections and the role of the Muslim Brotherhood because the outcome will shape diplomatic relations in the region. The Muslim Brotherhood’s strong presence in Egyptian politics has worried some Western leaders because of its belief in governing according to Islamic law. Some governments, such as Iran, have enforced religious restrictions to control their citizens. And American leaders are also worried that a more religious government will intensify tensions with the Jewish nation of Israel.
The rocky trail to democracy
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The ballots used in Egypt's elections use pictures to differentiate among the many candidates. |
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The road to democracy in Egypt has been shaky since the first images of protesters in Tahrir Square were broadcast throughout the world in early 2011. Although the U.S. and other Western governments encouraged the Egyptian people’s right to protest and seek new leadership, many Egyptians don’t want any foreign intervention in their affairs and have become hostile to even the most well-intentioned efforts from other countries.
Last December, Egyptian security forces raided a series of human rights and pro-democracy organizations in Cairo to see where their funding was coming from. In February, 43 workers at those organizations, including 19 Americans, were detained after the Egyptian government launched an investigation into the foreign funding of pro-democracy groups.
The Egyptians were angry because they didn’t want any foreign influence intervening in their new government. The National Democratic Institute (NDI), a U.S. State Department-funded organization, was among those targeted.
Now, the U.S. and other countries will wait and see who becomes Egypt’s next leader and what priorities the new government will set.
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I think we've been witnessing violence for years, whether in reality through the media or through video games, and I don't think that's a first-hand effect.
