Politicians call for president first, parliament later

Several political figures continue to recommend that presidential elections be held ahead of parliamentary elections, after January’s referendum on the constitution.

The constitutional draft did not specify in its transitional rules section which election should take place after it passes, but several leaders have called for presidential elections first.

Hamdeen Sabbahi, who was a presidential candidate in the 2012 elections and now leads the Popular Current Party that emerged during his presidential run, told journalists on Saturday that he is in favor of presidential elections taking place first.

Sabbahi was quoted by the state-run Middle East News Agency as saying that while he does not have an electoral campaign yet, he is being supported as the revolution’s candidate by all those who stand with the revolution.

He has expressed willingness to run for the post as long as military head General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi does not participate in the election.

Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, veteran writer and a close associate of former President Gamal Abdel Nasser, also called for presidential elections to precede the parliamentary polls. In an interview with TV host Lamees al-Hadidy, Heikal said the political situation is too complex and risky to hold off on presidential elections and the ongoing political divisions may mar a parliamentary electoral process.

He called on Sisi, in the meantime, to make up his mind about the presidential contest, predicting that he eventually will not run and saying he faces a difficult impasse. Heikal said that it would be a critical experience for Sisi if he failed as a president, citing him as saying that he fears the impact that his candidacy could have on the Armed Forces.

The London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily reported in its Saturday edition that most political forces in conversation with interim President Adly Mansour are advising him to call for presidential elections first. The paper stated that while the Salafi Nour Party favors holding parliamentary polls first, it has shown “flexibility” over the final decision.

A party source told the paper that it is ready to change the course of the roadmap by letting presidential elections take place first, provided there is a political accord over this course of action. The source added that it does not want to be isolated by holding onto its preference.

The paper added that Mansour is likely to issue decrees about the presidential elections toward the end of the month.

In the previous roadmap following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Islamist forces called for parliamentary elections ahead of the constitutional writing process, believing that their strenth in organizational and mobilization politics would give them a lead in the elections.