Egypt's presidential elections campaigning started Saturday, one day after the National Elections Authority (NEA) approved incumbent President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Moussa Mostafa Moussa, head of the Ghad Party, as the final candidates for the March 2018 elections.
Several billboards featuring President El-Sisi were seen in Cairo streets Saturday, the first day of campaigning that is set to continue until 23 March.
The elections are set to be held abroad 16-18 March, and inside Egypt 26-28 March, while in case of a second round, the elections will take place on 19-21 April for Egyptians abroad, and 24-26 April inside Egypt.
The first day of electoral campaigning comes one day after the NEA confirmed Friday both President El-Sisi and contender Moussa as final candidates, also approving electoral symbols requested by the candidates: a star for El-Sisi and an airplane for Moussa.
The NEA warned candidates to not violate the right of privacy of contending candidates, or threatening national peace or using religious slogans that discriminate between citizens. It also urged against using violence or threatening to use it, as well as campaigning that involves presenting gifts or donations, or monetary or in-kind contributions, or any promised benefits, whether direct or indirect.
The authority also proscribed the use of state owned buildings, vital facilities, means of transportation, and public sector companies and NGOs in campaigning. Earlier, the NEA has set a cap of EGP 20 million (approximately $1.3 million) on campaign financing for each candidate.
President El-Sisi, whose current term will end in June, won the 2014 presidential elections with nearly 97 percent of the vote in a two-man race with leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi.
Ahram Online
