Seven presidential hopefuls met late on Tuesday to discuss recent political developments and the decisions made by Egypt's transitional rulers.
Informed sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the participants discussed drafting a paper on the interim period that they would submit to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a delegation of candidates may meet with the council.
Presidential hopefuls Mohamed ElBaradei, Amr Moussa, Mohamed Selim al-Awa, Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Hazem Abu Ismail took part in the meeting, in addition to Hesham el-Bastawisi, who participated via telephone from abroad.
The meeting tackled issues including parliamentary elections and electoral laws on electoral consituencies, as well as recent incidents at the Israeli Embassy, the amendment of the Emergency Law and the government's campaign against private satellite television channels.
A statement from Abouel Fotouh’s campaign team emphasized the necessity of facing challenges and exchanging views during Egypt's transitional period. Sabbahi’s campaign team, meanwhile, said the meeting was a response to a the demands of young people.
Several presidential hopefuls, party representatives and the Union of Revolutionary Youth attended an earlier meeting on Tuesday at the Wasat Party headquarters, after which they announced a signature-gathering campaign against the electoral constituencies law. Critics say the law will favor Islamist groups, which have the resources to campaign over wider areas, by enlarging election districts.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
