Sabbahi, Ali discuss upcoming election

Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi and 2012 presidential hopeful Khaled Ali met at the Socialist Popular Alliance Party (SPAP) headquarters on Thursday night to discuss a potential cooperation in the upcoming election, reported the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.

SPAP President Abdel Ghafar Shokr called the meeting, according to Al-Ahram.

The two candidates were to discuss how to cooperate in the election to avoid dividing the revolutionary vote, as in past elections, Shokr told the newspaper.

Heba Yasseen, spokesperson for Sabbahi’s Popular Current party, told Mada Masr that the meeting came in the context of ongoing discussions between Sabbahi and all political forces, but would not provide any more details.

The party would issue a statement following the talk, Yasseen said.

Sabbahi formally announced his intention to run in the election earlier this month, while Ali has yet to confirm speculations about a presidential bid.

Both Sabbahi and Ali contested the 2012 presidential elections. The fragmentation of the revolutionary vote between Sabbahi, Ali and Muslim Brotherhood defector Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh is largely considered the main reason why Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq made it to the run-off.

Abouel Fotouh announced that he would abstain from running in the upcoming election in protest against what he called a non-democratic atmosphere in which the state is pushing for one candidate: Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.  

Despite his loss, Sabbahi had considerable popularity in 2012 and proved to be an electoral force to be reckoned with when he obtained over 20 percent of the votes in the first round, only three percent short of making it to the run-off.

While some analysts give him more credibility as a revolutionary figure, Ali was only able to garner less than one percent of the votes.

Ali and Sabbahi’s political positions in recent months have been considerably different. While Ali condemned many of the violations that have occurred since Morsi’s ouster — calling the violent dispersal of Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in August a massacre, and speaking out against an ongoing wide arrests campaign — Sabbahi has been supportive of the current government.

Sabbahi is considered to be Sisi’s main competition. The field marshal is expected to announce his candidacy soon, and has been backed by the military and the government.

Going against the overwhelming state-sponsored campaign for Sisi would be one of few things that Ali and Sabbahi have in common.

A new presidential elections bill governing the upcoming poll is expected to be issued by interim President Adly Mansour shortly, after which the elections committee would open the door for candidates to formally enter the race.