Sabbahi's Karama Party to boycott Morsi-Shafiq presidential showdown

Ahram Online, Monday 28 May 2012

Nasserist presidential candidate says his party will boycott next month's runoff vote if it comes down to a contest between Brotherhood's Morsi and Mubarak-era Shafiq

Hamdeen Sabahi
Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi (Photo: Reuters)

Egypt’s Nasserist Karama Party has announced plans to boycott next month’s presidential runoff poll in the event that the vote comes down to a showdown between Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and Mubarak-era minister Ahmed Shafiq.

"The party rejects the notion of the Muslim Brotherhood dominating the country’s legislative bodies,” read a party statement issued on Sunday. “And it also rejects the notion of handing power over to remnants of the old [Mubarak] regime."

Party founder and Nasserist presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, who contested the election on an independent ticket, came in at third place in last week’s poll, according to preliminary vote results. 

Egypt’s Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission is expected to announce final results on Monday.

Runoffs have been slated for 16 and 17 June.

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