Sabahi Filing Complaint over Irregularities

Egyptian presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi plans to file a complaint over alleged voting irregularities in favor of ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq during the recent election and has called for a partial vote recount.

Mahmoud Qandeel, a lawyer with the Sabahi campaign, said on Saturday that Egypt’s leftist presidential contender “will file a suit with the election commission over irregularities” that may have affected the result of the first round. 

Sabahi finished in third place, just behind Shafiq, who finished in second place in the landmark Egyptian election, which was only made possible by the popular uprising that ousted former dictator Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. 

The electoral commission is expected to declare the official results on Tuesday, but indications suggest that the apparent top two vote-getters of the first round of the Egyptian presidential election are Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq. 

Essam al-Erian, the vice chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party, told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that it was “completely clear” that Morsi and Shafiq were the top two vote-getters and would compete in the run-off election on June 16 and 17. 

He said Morsi won 25.3 percent of the vote, Shafiq secured 24 percent, and Sabahi received 22 percent. 

At a press conference later on Saturday, Morsi appealed to Egyptians to pursue the goals of the revolution. 

He said he was confident the results of the June run-off “will serve the revolution and the interests of the Egyptian people.” 

On Friday, the Muslim Brotherhood urged Egyptians to rally behind their presidential candidate in the June run-off with rival Shafiq, warning the country would be in danger if the former Egyptian premier won. 

Meanwhile, Shafiq has praised the “glorious” revolution that overthrew Mubarak and vowed that there will be no “re-creation” of the old regime if he is elected. 

During a press conference at his campaign headquarters on Saturday, Shafiq called on the Egyptian people to stand in unity and said no one would be excluded or pushed aside by the new government if he is elected. 

“I pledge to every Egyptian that there will be no turning back and no re-creation of the old regime. We will not fight but we will work together. Egypt has changed and there will be no turning back of the clock. We have had a glorious revolution,” he said.