A former lawmaker and prominent critic of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has withdrawn from Egypt’s presidential election, citing intimidation and harassment by the authorities. Ahmed el-Tantawy, who was arrested and briefly detained last month, said he could not continue his campaign under the current conditions.
El-Tantawy was one of the few potential challengers to Sisi, who is widely expected to win a second term in the vote scheduled for December. Sisi, a former army chief who led the 2013 coup that ousted Egypt’s first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi, has overseen a crackdown on dissent and civil liberties that has silenced most opposition voices.
El-Tantawy, who founded the liberal Egypt Freedom Party in 2011, said he faced obstacles and threats from the security forces, the media, and the electoral commission. He said his campaign staff were harassed and arrested, his posters were torn down, and his supporters were prevented from endorsing him.
He also accused the electoral commission of bias and lack of transparency, saying it did not respond to his complaints or requests for information. He said the commission did not announce the number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot, nor did it provide a list of eligible voters or polling stations.
El-Tantawy’s withdrawal leaves only two other candidates in the race: Khaled Ali, a human rights lawyer who faces a possible jail sentence over a protest-related charge, and Moussa Mostafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports Sisi. Both candidates have struggled to gather enough signatures to meet the deadline of November 6.
Egypt’s presidential election has been widely criticized by human rights groups and activists, who say it is neither free nor fair. They say the authorities have used arbitrary arrests, media censorship, legal obstacles, and violence to eliminate any serious competition for Sisi.
The election comes amid a deteriorating economic situation in Egypt, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The country has also faced security challenges from armed groups in the Sinai Peninsula and neighboring Libya.
Despite the challenges and criticisms, Sisi has defended his record and vowed to continue his reforms and development plans. He has also appealed to Egyptians to participate in the election and exercise their democratic rights.
Source: [Reuters]
