The Cairo Administrative Court continued to hear presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail’s lawsuit demanding that the interior minister give him a certificate proving his mother only had Egyptian nationality on Tuesday during an evening session.
During the session, a State Litigation Authority representative told the court that neither the interior minister nor the foreign affairs minister issued any decisions stating that Abu Ismail’s mother carried the US nationality, said the state-owned MENA news service.
According to MENA, the representative added, "Abu Ismail’s problem is with the US government, and the Egyptian government is not a party in this matter."
He went on to say that all the Presidential Elections Commission received regarding Abu Ismail’s mother was information from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship affirming that his mother had travelled more than once to the US, using an American document, not a US passport, MENA reported.
As stated in a law issued after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak, presidential candidates may only hold Egyptian citizenship, and their parents and spouses must only have Egyptian nationality.
State-run news agency MENA reported earlier that Abu Ismail arrived at the court surrounded by more than 20 police officers, while his supporters stood outside the State Council building.
Abu Ismail told the court, "It is a legal fact that passports are not proof of citizenship, whether Egyptian or American."
He went on to say that an officer viewing a passport at the airport is too simple of a process to determine nationality.
He also said that according to Article 10 of the Nationality Act, the interior minister is responsible for determining an Egyptian's foreign citizenship.
"This did not happen with my mother," he continued. He said this would mean his mother was not an American citizen by Egyptian law, regardless of what the US government says.
He accused the Interior Ministry of legal corruption against him, claiming that the documents sent from the US to the ministry are not official by Egyptian law.
Abu Ismail left the courtroom amid hundreds of supporters, and urged them to stay away from the court house to allow it to conduct its work.
News website elbadil.net reported that minor clashes erupted between police and Abu Ismail’s supporters after the latter attempted to block traffic.
The supporters then stopped trying to block the road, chanting, “O mother of Abu Ismail, you’re Egyptian” and “The people want Hazem Abu Ismail,” according to the report.
Last week, a statement from the Presidential Elections Commission statement said the commission had received documents from the Foreign Ministry confirming that Nawal Abdel Aziz Nour, Abu Ismail’s late mother, obtained American citizenship on 25 October 2006.
The Foreign Ministry reportedly provided the Presidential Elections Commission with a photocopy of the application Nour submitted for American citizenship.
In recent weeks, Abu Ismail’s campaign posters have dominated public surfaces throughout Cairo, far outnumbering those of other candidates. He enjoys wide popularity, and some commentators believe he is the front-runner in the first presidential election since Mubarak’s resignation.
Abu Ismail advocates the establishment of an Islamic state that strictly applies Sharia. Supporters say they back Abu Ismail because they believe he will cleanse the country of corrupt officials who squandered public money.
Abu Ismail is also set to appear in court for two other lawsuits he filed, the first of which challenges Article 28 of the Constitutional Declaration, which prohibits appeals against decisions issued by the Presidential Elections Commission; and the second of which demands the suspension of the upcoming presidential election.
The election is scheduled for 23 and 24 May.
