Egyptians will cast their ballots to decide on a new president this 26 and 27 May. It comes almost 11 months after the removal as head of state of Islamist Mohammed Mursi. <br /><br />Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, architect of that eviction, is expected to be confirmed as Mursi’s official successor. <br /><br />Sissi’s supporters see him as the only man strong enough to hold in check Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood, to reimpose security in Egypt and to rekindle the economy.<br /><br />The retired field marshal has not campaigned for the presidency, appearing only rarely in public. He declined a euronews invitation for an interview.<br /><br />Sissi has one person running against him: leader of the left-wing Egyptian Popular Current movement Hamdeen Sabahi. He has been campaigning hard. <br /><br />Claiming ideological lineage from pan-Arabist President Nasser, Sabahi placed third in the 2012 presidential running.<br /><br />Sabahi was jailed as a dissident during the Mubarak and Sadat presidencies. Our Cairo correspondent asked what he hopes to accomplish that previous leaders have not.<br /><br />Sabahi said: “I will work to achieve what the Egyptian people asked for in their revolutions. A successful state is great evidence of a successful revolution. I will seek social justice to restore the rights of the deprived majority, fair distribution of wealth and a democratic state able to protect freedoms and prevent discrimination in Egypt, and to open the door to the rule of law, equal opportunities and independence in national decision-making.”<br /><br />Mohammed Shaikhibrahim, euronews: “Are you ready to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood, in the event you win the presidency?”<br /><br />Sabahi: “The Muslim Brotherhood will not return as a party, because the new Constitution rules out religious parties. But that only regards the Muslim Brotherhood as an organisation: regarding individuals, I am very aware that there must not be discrimination among Egyptians for their political attitudes, providing that each expresses his opinion in a peaceful manner. We will deal with violence and everyone who spreads ideas of terror. We will not accept any violation of Egyptians’ freedoms and right to express their opinions peacefully.”<br /><br />euronews: “Do you think that the Egyptian media and other state agencies are neutral in this election?”<br /><br />Sabahi: “Not to speak of state television, I do not find equal opportunities in media held in private hands.”<br /><br />euronews: “Why is that?”<br /><br />Sabahi: “Because I think those who own the private media have their own interests. In this election, I know that the Egyptian state is effectively present; I see its influence every day. In spite of that, I accept the election equation under the influence of the state in favour of one candidate, but what I am asking for is: no fraud. I don’t think there will be fraud, and even if it happens, we will overcome it.”
