Presidential hopeful Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh on Tuesday accused the US of spending extravagantly to manipulate the upcoming Egyptian presidential elections.
Abouel Fotouh said the US is trying to bring one of the “devils” of the Hosni Mubarak regime.
“The US has poured billions of its money in collaboration with enemies of our country and the revolution so as to appoint a president who matches its interests, and that was vivid in incidents of bribing citizens to collect candidacy signatures,” the former Muslim Brotherhood leader said during a public conference in Abu Qurqas, Minya.
Egypt’s first presidential election since the ouster of Mubarak’s regime is slated for 23 and 24 May. Authorities have started to receive candidacy applications since 10 March and will close the door for them on 8 April.
“The US is doomed to failure — Egyptians will never elect one of the devils of the former regime,” Abouel Fotouh said. “The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the government should not voice support for any candidate, and are required to block the money flowing from the US.”
Some candidates have decried incidents in which they say voters have been bribed to sign powers of attorney that enable non-partisan candidates to run for the post.
Last Wednesday, campaigners for presidential candidates Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Ahmed Shafiq denounced bribes given by some candidates to citizens.
According to the Presidential Elections Law, a candidate can run in the elections if he is backed by 30 MPs or manages to collect signatures from 30,000 citizens from 15 governorates.
On Friday, Hatem Bagato, secretary general of the Presidential Elections Commission, said that bribing citizens to sign notarized powers of attorney in support for certain candidates is an “electoral crime” punishable by imprisonment and a fine.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
