Despite analyst doubts, Sabbahi gets required signatures for candidacy

Presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi has garnered 30,000 signatures of support for his candidacy from 18 governorates across the country, his campaign announced on Thursday.

Under the Elections Law, candidates are required to submit a minimum of 25,000 endorsements from at least 15 different governorates in order to officially register to run in the presidential race.

Prior to Thursday’s announcement, political analysts had cautioned that a lack of mobilization and outreach, especially in Upper Egypt, could make it difficult for Sabbahi to get the required number of signatures. But Hamed Gabr, a leading member of Sabbahi’s presidential campaign, told the privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Popular Current Party founder had well exceeded the minimum number of endorsements three days ago, and that the campaign continues to collect signatures daily.

Gabr claimed that a misunderstanding had led to a delay in collecting the endorsements, prompting the warning from analysts. The Sabbahi campaign held a celebration at its main headquarters in Cairo on Thursday and Friday to collect endorsements from across the country. But “this stopped some of them [Sabbahi supporters] from sending them to the registrar offices, thinking that the campaign had already collected all the needed endorsements,” Gabr asserted.

Earlier on Thursday, the Sabbahi campaign issued a statement condemning an attack on a Beheira registrar office, claiming the assailants were trying to obstruct the collection of endorsements.

Sabbahi announced his intention to run in February, after reportedly stating that he  would decline to run in the election in deference to then-Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, if the army chief decided to step down from his post and pursue the presidency. The 59-year-old has since made statements warning against the dangers of having a military man as president, presenting himself as the “revolutionary” candidate.

Sabbahi came in third in the 2012 presidential election, after former President Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era minister Ahmed Shafiq.

After months of denying that he would run for the nation’s highest office, Sisi officially registered his bid with the High Elections Committee on Monday. He is widely expected to sweep the vote, scheduled to start on May 26-27.

The Sabbahi campaign has filed complaints to the Cabinet against three ministers for demonstrating bias to the Sisi campaign, legal advisor Tareq Negida said in an interview with the privately owned Al-Hayat television station.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb and the ministers of tourism, youth and sports and local development were cited in the complaint. “Their statements reveal bias towards Sisi’s campaign, despite Mehleb’s announcement that the whole Cabinet is neutral towards all candidates,” Negida said.

On Wednesday, Sisi’s presidential campaign announced it had collected close to half a million endorsements. When the field marshal’s lawyer submitted his registration to the High Elections Commission, various media reports said the campaign had collected 200-300,000 signatures.

Despite having surpassed the needed number of signatures several times over, Sisi’s campaign said it would keep receiving signatures until the deadline to show appreciation for the people’s support.

Justice Minister Nayyer Othman said Thursday that registrar offices would continue to receive endorsements for presidential candidates on Friday from 7 am to 4:30 pm, and would pay clerks overtime.

“The High Elections Commission was notified of the decision. It was taken to allow a great opportunity for those who want to support any of the presidential hopefuls,” said Judge Omar Marwan, deputy justice minister.