Odd constitutional amend. excludes Nobel Prize winner for Egypt presidency

Ekram Ibrahim , Monday 28 Feb 2011

The Constitutional Reform Committee’s latest amendments exclude Nobel Prize winner, Ahmed Zewail, because his wife is not Egyptian

The new constitutional amendments announced by the Constitutional Reform Committee yesterday exclude Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner (1999), Ahmed Zewail from running for president of Egypt.

Zewail is among the figures expected to run for the Egyptian presidency in 2011, however a new constitutional amendment states specifically that a candidate should be Egyptian, from Egyptian parents, without double nationality and married to an Egyptian woman.

Zewail, however, is married to a Syrian; accordingly he won't be able to run for presidency.

Zewail returned to Egypt during the last days of the revolution to announce his support for the revolution and was a welcomed candidate by some Egyptians.  

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