Egypt’s ex-presidential candidate calls election a farce

The comments on Sunday came from Khaled Ali, whose campaign was the closest to the youth movements behind the 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

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By (AP)

Published: Sun 16 Mar 2014, 8:41 PM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 5:27 AM

A former presidential candidate in Egypt said he will not take part in upcoming presidential elections, calling them a “farce.”

The comments on Sunday came from Khaled Ali, whose campaign was the closest to the youth movements behind the 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Ali said the conditions for the expected April election are stacked in favour of one candidate. However, he didn’t specifically name powerful military chief Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah Al Sisi, who is widely expected to run and win easily.

Ali also criticised the current military-backed government for detaining opposition members and called on the army to stay out of politics.

Though popular among leftists and the youth, Ali is little-known among the wider public. He got 0.6 per cent of the 23 million votes cast in 2012.

(AP)

Published: Sun 16 Mar 2014, 8:41 PM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 5:27 AM

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