State TV news anchor announces bid for presidency

State TV news anchor Bothaina Kamel underwent a mandatory medical check up on Sunday morning, as stipulated by the High Elections Commission, as the first step toward formally running for president.

After a week of unconfirmed rumors, Kamel announced yesterday her intention to run in the upcoming elections. This will be Kamel’s second attempt at the presidency, after she failed to collect the necessary endorsements for the 2012 elections.

Kamel confirmed to Mada Masr that she was undergoing the required medical exam for candidates on Sunday.

Samira Ibrahim, the spokesperson for Kamel’s campaign, told Mada Masr that Kamel decided to run in order to push the issue of women rights, after she realized that the two main candidates were not giving the matter enough attention.

Former Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Hamdeen Sabbahi are the main contenders for the elections, scheduled to start in May.

Ibrahim gained fame in 2011 when she spoke out against virginity tests that were performed on her and other women in military detention, and later won a court case forcing the military to stop the practice.

Ibrahim said that the goal of Kamel’s candidacy is to have a woman in the race, even if she knows that her chances of winning are slim.

On her Twitter account, Ibrahim calls on people to endorse Kamel in order to enable her to collect the 20,000 endorsements required to enter the race, and then to vote for whoever they want in the elections.

Ibrahim says that Kamel is coordinating with women rights organizations and volunteers in governorates to help in the collection of endorsements.

In statements to the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper on Sunday, Kamel stated that she did not intend to run, but that she was pressured by women rights organizations into doing so, adding that her presidential campaign will focus on “regaining the rights of women.”

While Kamel positions herself this time around as the women’s candidate, her bid in 2012 was more focused on the revolution. During her short-lived campaign in 2012, Kamel concentrated on social justice and political reform, drawing attention to the fact that she was Egypt’s first female presidential candidate.

Kamel resigned from her job in state media following the 2011 uprising, before returning again as a news anchor in September 2012.

The candidate has also participated in several political movements, including Kefaya. She was a member in Al-Dostour party, but resigned last August.