Presidential hopeful Abdullah al-Ashal has said he has not given up his candidacy in favor of Muslim Brotherhood nominee Mohamed Morsy.
“I only announced my support for Morsy and his Renaissance Project,” Ashal said.
The Brotherhood’s party paper, Freedom and Justice, had said Monday that Ashal described Morsy as “his favorite candidate.”
State-run news agency MENA cited Ashal, a former assistant secretary of foreign affairs, as saying that reports he had given up his candidacy were inaccurate. The agency added that the official deadline for withdrawing candidacy has already passed, so his name remains listed on ballot papers.
Ashal said in April that he would withdraw to support Khairat al-Shater, the Brotherhood’s original candidate, who was ousted from the race for serving a prison sentence under ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
But just before the nominations door closed, Ashal said he would run, supported by the Salafi-oriented Asala Party.
Ashal is now an international law professor at the American University in Cairo.
The Presidential Elections Commission closed the door to withdrawals from the race 8 May in preparation for the vote, which is scheduled for 23 and 24 May.
