Ali says he will not run in a biased presidential race

Human rights lawyer Khaled Ali announced on Sunday that he would not run for president, as he feels the elections have become a fake performance with a known winner.

During a press conference held at the press syndicate, where Ali announced his decision, he strongly criticized the potential candidacy of current Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as the Elections Law and the general political atmosphere, which he maintained would not allow for fair elections.

If he runs, Sisi is expected to dominate the presidential elections, after his popularity soared when he removed former President Mohamed Morsi from power last July.

While he hasn’t formally resigned from his military post and announced his candidacy, it is considered to be only a matter of time until he does, as the Armed Forces has already supported his candidacy and billboards with his picture have been spread around the country.

In his speech, Ali said that for a military leader to enter politics, they should first spend a year as a civilian in order to allow for the media and society to view them as a regular citizen and be able to criticize and discuss their actions.

As Minister of Defense, the media has steered away from criticizing Sisi.

“As politicians, we can disagree and have conflicts, but we can’t afford to have the military be part of this circle of conflict, because this endangers not only the military institution, but all of us,” Ali said, asking military leaders to stay away from politics and asserting that his battle is not against the military but against those who are seeking personal gains.

Ali also said that the political scene is still controlled by the battle between the Islamist current and Mubarak’s regime, which he says is still in power.

Ali said that his withdrawal from the elections does not mean that he will stop his political work and that he represents a third way between the two battling powers, which prioritizes social justice.

“We want real democracy; don’t try to fool us and close down this show, we won’t take part in any deals or be part of your show,” he said, asserting that the regime is trying to give the illusion of fair and competitive elections while the results are already known.

Ali criticized the presence of Sisi posters all over the streets while the new Elections Law only allows other candidates to start their campaigns after the final list of candidates has been released, which would give them less than twenty days before the elections. Ali also criticized other aspects of the Elections Law, including the possession of a high level degree in order to run for president and the imposition of a vague health standard for candidates.

Ali said that in order to have real fair elections, the current regime would have to cancel the Protest Law — which has been used to arrest thousands — for military leaders to stay out of the political process, and for the Elections Law to be amended to allow for a democratic process.

Another potential candidate, Sami Anan, former military chief of staff, also dropped out of the presidential race last week, stating that his decision stems from “prioritization of the national good and a realization of the dangers surrounding the country and the conspiracies against the state.”

There is only one other candidate to formally announce his intention to run for president and that is leftist politician Hamdeen Sabbahi.