Candidate's hope looks grim

Candidate's hope looks grim.

I was highly ecstatic to learn that Mr. Aladdin Elaasar had decided to join the already crowded field of candidates seeking the office of the President of Arab Republic Of Egypt, I had learned earlier from browsing the internet that the Egyptian feminist Nawal Saddawi, and the Egyptian human rights activist Sadd Din Ibrahim were also contemplating taking a shot at that very important highest order of Egypt. I said to myself wow, that really transcends the facile.

What remained unanswered until today is the fact about how any of these candidates will be able to challenge an incumbent that occupied the office of the Presidency unchallenged for the past quarter of a century !

And just as I was trying to make sense of this web of contentious situation, I come across a report published in the Jordanian daily Newspaper Al Dustoor, which basically puts a damper on the hopes and aspiration of these enthusiastic candidates, it may even extinguish any remaining hope for them to even have their names listed on the ballots once and for all.

The report http://www.addustour.com/News/ViewMainNews.asp?NID=117943&SID=2 specifically states that Egyptian election law prohibits the candidacy for the office of the President of Egypt from holding dual nationality. In addition, the candidate must also meet two other essential exigencies before he can qualify for running. A) He must have gone through and completed the mandatory conscription draft. B) He must secure the endorsement of all of the members of the people's assembly, as well as the Egyptian consultative council members. I don't know if Mr. Elaasar is holding a dual national, holding both Egyptian and American citizenships or not, but if he is then his candidacy will be automatically disqualified.

The law wasn't obviously promulgated for Mr. Elaasar, it was supposed to be a safety valve against the candidacy of the son of Husni Mubarak who we believe to be holding A dual British as well as Egyptian citizenships. He is contemplating running in 2011 election.

I regret not seeing Mr. Elaasar enjoy his fifteen minutes of fame, however, if he is willing to relinquish his American citizenship, and meet all the other exigencies, the hope may still be there although it already doesn't look good at all for the adroit extra ordinarily ambitious Aladdin

Hatem Abunimeh