In Malawi and Deir Mowas, south of Minya, candidates from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), the Wafd Party and the Muslim Brotherhood as well as independent candidates have become engaged in fierce competition after the NDP appointed a Coptic candidate to contest both a “professionals” seat in Malawi as well as a “farmers/workers” seat in Deir Mowas.
The NDP prevented around 11 candidates from standing for election against the Coptic candidate, even after the candidates submitted their credentials to the electoral committee.
The increasing number of candidates seeking to contest the seat has resulted in rumors, statements and leaflets from both sides, especially from the NDP’s secretariat in Malawi, which has started using the slogan of the 1919 revolution, “Long live the cross and crescent”
The Muslim Brotherhood candidate has issued statements accusing the Coptic candidate of paying huge amounts of money to NDP members in the Minya electoral committee in order to secure his nomination.
Accusations extended to the candidate for the “workers/farmers” seat in the constituency of Deir Mowas, Mostafa Tawfiq, the former head of Aswan’s security service, who is no longer running for the “professionals” seat after the Coptic candidate applied to run. Tawfiq is also competing against Wafd candidates Ahmed Semeika and Gamal el-Sorougi, who claim that Tawfiq is not often present in Deir Mowas and is out of touch with the problems of his constituents.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
