Veteran opposition figure and potential presidential contender Hamdeen Sabahi on Monday announced that he would not run in Egypt’s first post-Mubarak parliamentary polls, slated to begin on 28 November.

Sabahi, head of the Nasserist Karama Party, stressed that his party supported his decision.

It remains unclear exactly why Sabahi has decided to opt out of the race.

Sabahi has alerted members of the Democratic Alliance, the coalition of which his party is a member, of his decision to refrain from contesting elections.

Senior Karama member Nassri El-Dowansi will reportedly make a parliamentary bid for the party in the place of Sabahi.

The Muslim Brotherhood-led Democratic Alliance includes 16 political parties expected to field candidates in upcoming elections on a unified candidate list.