Egyptian Presidential Election Preview

Join The Majalla from Monday for daily updates on Egypt's forthcoming elections, provided by Stephen Glain

Egyptians living abroad have already cast their vote in the election that will decide Egypt's next president. The Arab World's most populous country is now gearing up for the eagerly anticipated, occasionally controversial, presidential elections.

A woman holds Egyptian flags daubed with democratic slogans

The campaign for the presidential elections in Egypt is entering its final stages, with the poll in Egypt scheduled for the 23 and 24 of May, with a run-off in mid-June if necessary.

Of the thirteen candidates in the competition, three are leading in the opinion polls: Amr Moussa, a former head of the Arab League and Egyptian foreign minister, Abdel Fotouh, a former member of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, and Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister. Moussa has consistently led the other candidates, with a recent poll putting his support amongst Egyptians at 40 percent. His closest rivals have hovered around 20 percent each.

Voting in the Egyptian presidential elections has already finished amongst the half a million Egyptian expatriates registered to vote around the world, out of an estimated 8 to 10 million Egyptians living and working abroad.

Turnout was reportedly low, with less than a quarter of a million votes cast, according to the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission.

The expatriate vote has included a strong showing for the Nasserist candidate, Hamdeen Sabahi, of the Dignity Party, who has reportedly came first amongst expatriates voting in France, and second in the UK, and third in Washington, D.C.

The final tally of all expatriate votes is to be declared later today. It remains to be seen exactly how strong the swing towards Sabahi will prove to be, and if these results will be reflected in Egypt itself next week.

Join The Majalla every day from Monday for updates on the presidential race as it develops. Insight will be provided by our regular contributor Stephen Glain.

Stephen, a veteran journalist who has extensive experience reporting on Egypt and the wider the Middle East, will be based in Cairo and shall cover every aspect of the elections.

Glain’s latest book, State vs. Defense: The Battle to Define America’s Empire, was published by Crown Books in August 2011.

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Since it was first published in 1980 from its head office in London, The Majalla has been considered one of the leading political affairs magazines in the Arab world. We offer a wide array of articles addressing the most significant political, economic and social issues facing the Middle East today, as well as the evolving cultural scene in the region. The Majalla prides itself in being an ideas-driven publication that goes beyond reporting and headlines to provide original analysis.

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