Egypt disqualifies top Islamists, Mubarak VP from vote

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

CAIRO | Sat Apr 14, 2012 3:14pm EDT

(Reuters) - The body overseeing Egypt's presidential election disqualified 10 candidates from the race on Saturday, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Khairat al-Shater, former spy chief Omar Suleiman and ultra orthodox Salafi sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail.

Farouk Sultan, head of the presidential election commission, told Reuters the disqualified candidates had 48 hours to appeal against its decision. He declined to give details on the reasons for their disqualification.

The disqualification of some of the leading candidates would redraw the electoral map with just weeks to go before the May vote that decides who will replace Hosni Mubarak as head of the Arab world's most populous country.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/14/us-egypt-presidency-idUSBRE83D0D620120414

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. This could lead to problems.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Wonder why they included Khairat al-Shater ?

Renditioner Suleiman and the guy with the US mom I can understand.

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Something about a past criminal conviction.

So, they've disqualified the candidates of the two strongest political formations, the Salafists and the Brotherhood. I expect trouble. Hope I'm wrong.

[tabatha]

4. Yep, there was an amazing sequence of tweets about Suleiman

by an Egyptian tweeter - bad dude.

[Eugene]

5. Bans upheld on Egyptian presidential candidates

Source: BBC

17 April 2012 Last updated at 19:09 GMT

Bans upheld on Egyptian presidential candidates

Ten candidates who had applied to run in the Egyptian presidential election have lost their appeals against disqualification, officials say.

A judicial panel found no new evidence was offered by the hopefuls, including ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman and Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater.

The ultraconservative Salafist, Hazem Abu Ismail, also lost his appeal. The three were considered front-runners.

The BBC's correspondent in Cairo says the decision reshapes the election.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17748256