Egypt’s Mindboggling First Time Choosing a Leader
Egyptians are for the first time getting a taste of how it is to choose a president— with groundbreaking presidential debates, face-to-face encounters with candidates on the campaign trail, and chances to question their programs, political history and even personal lives.
The official campaigning period has been limited to a brief three weeks, and the election process has been marred with legal pitfalls, violence and even threats of postponing of the vote due to begin May 23.
But the campaign for the election definitely marks one real change: Whoever becomes president will no longer be an untouchable and unquestionable pharaoh like ousted leader Hosni Mubarak was during his 29 years of authoritarian rule.
During a late night debate between two top candidates, the first ever in Egypt and the Arab world, crowds gathered around TV screens at outdoor cafes for the unprecedented sight of their potential leaders grilling each another over their political affiliations and pasts.
For four hours, lasting until early Friday, Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh — a moderate Islamist who was a dissident during the regime of Mubarak and his predecessor Anwar Sadat — faced off against Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister who was among Egypt’s most popular politicians because of his vocal criticism of Israel.