Ahram poll reveals Moussa still Egypt's favoured presidential candidate
Ahram Online, Monday 30 Apr 2012
Al-Ahram Political Studies Centre sampled 1,200 individuals, revealing that Moussa continues to be ahead of all 13 candidates in Egypt's presidential race


In the weekly statistical poll conducted by Al-Ahram Political Studies Centre, presidential hopeful Amr Moussa, Mubarak's former foreign minister, takes the majority of votes.

Moussa received 41.1 percent of the votes in the poll.

Presidential contenderAbdel Moneim Abul-Fotouh, former Muslim Brotherhood leader, took 27.3 percent of the votes.

Together, Moussa and Abul-Fotouh have 68.4 percent of the total votes.

The poll was conducted between 21 - 24 April.

After the Salafist Nour Party and Salafist Scholar Shura Council announced their endorsement of Abul-Fotouh on Saturday, supporters backing Abul-Fotouh are expected to rise.

Presidential runner, Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister and air force chief, came in third place and achieved 11.9 percent of votes.

Hamdeen Sabbahi, Nasserist candidate running on an independent ticket, got 7.4 percent of the poll's votes.

Selim El-Awa, well-known Islamist thinker, received 5.7 percent of the votes while Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Morsi received the lowest percentage of votes, at 3.6 percent.

The poll revealed that Moussa and Abul-Fotouh are in tight competition over the central governorates, especially Cairo, Dakahliya, Sharqiya and Qalioubiya.

Moussa reigned in Upper Egypt governorates: Assiut, Qena and Sohag.

However, the poll showed that Abul-Fotouh had the votes of Minya, Beni Sueif and Fayoum governorates.

As for Shafiq, the poll revealed that he has Menoufiya governorate, unlike both front-runners.

The poll was conducted on a sample of 1,200 individuals through personal interviews. It is a representative sample of central governerates; excluding coastal governorates, such as North Sinai, South Sinai, Marsa Matrouh, Al-Wadi Al-Gadid and Red Sea governerate. These governorates excluded from the poll, however, represent less than percent of Egypt's population.

The thirteen presidential candidates will officially start campaigning on Monday.

Presidential elections will take place on 23 and 24 May, and the president will be named on 21 June after a runoff voting round, if necessary, on 16 and 17 June.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/40506.aspx