4 candidates set to run in Egypt’s 2024 Presidential Elections: Who are they?

CAIRO – 16 October 2023: The National Election Authority (NEA) announced on Monday the initial list of candidates who are set to run in the 2024 Presidential Elections two days after nominations closed.

Candidates running in the upcoming elections include incumbent President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who has been in post since 2014 and plans to run for a third term until 2030.

Compared to other candidates, Sisi has gained the largest number of endorsements from citizens at notary offices as well as from the Parliament.

In around 20 days, Sisi secured endorsements from 424 parliament members and 1.13 million citizens at notary offices.

According to the law, any citizen willing to run for president must first obtain endorsement from at least 25,000 citizens in 15 or more governorates in order for their candidacy to be accepted.

Instead, a citizen can run for elections in case he managed to secure endorsement from 20 or more members of the House of Representatives.

Besides Sisi, those willing to stand in the upcoming elections, scheduled for December, include Farid Zahran, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Head of Al-Wafd Party Abdel Sanad Yamama and Hazem Omar, head of the Republican People’s Party.

Former MP Ahmed Tantawi, the former head of Al-Karama (Dignity) Party, has failed to secure the required endorsements from people. In a press conference on Friday, he said he only managed to obtain about 14,000 endorsements.

Meanwhile, Head of Egypt’s liberal Constitution Party (Al-Dostour) Gameela Ismail announced withdrawing from the presidential race, citing a decision by her party.

Who is Abdel Fattah El-Sisi?

Sisi, 69, is the current president and the supreme commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

He became president after a landslide victory in the 2014 elections against Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabahi a year after the June 30 Revolution 2013 that ousted late Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Before the revolution, Sisi was the minister of defense from 2012 and 2013 and director of military intelligence from 2010 until 2012.

Two weeks ago, Sisi attended the “Story of Homeland” conference that shed light on the state’s achievements over the past nine years.

On the last day of the conference on 2 October, Sisi announced his candidacy for another term “to complete the dream,” promising to continue the ongoing efforts for the benefit of Egypt and its people.

Who is Hazem Omar?

Omar secured 68,071 endorsements from citizens at notary offices as well as 46 endorsements from the parliament to run for the elections.

Omar, 59, had been a member of the Senate for around three years until he resigned late in September to run in the upcoming elections.

Omar was the head of the foreign, Arab and African affairs committee at the Senate.

Omar was born in Cairo and obtained a Bachelor of Engineering from Alexandria University in 1986.

Omar describes his Republican People’s Party as a center-left party, noting that his electoral program is inspired by programs of leaders of countries that turned from being stuck in debt to becoming an economic giant.

Who is Abdel Sanad Yamama?

Yamama secured 27 endorsements from the parliament to run for the elections.

Yamama’s campaign says his program includes a comprehensive vision of reform to “save Egypt.”

Yamama has been the head of the New Wafd Party since 2022.

He is a professor and head of the private international law department at the Faculty of Law in Menoufia University. He is also heading the International Center for Arbitration, Conciliation, Mediation and Intellectual Property.

He worked as a lawyer for the Muslim World League.

Who is Farid Zahran?

Zahran secured 30 endorsements from the parliament to run for the elections.

Zahran, 66, is a democratic socialist politician and one of the most prominent leaders of Egypt's 1970s student movement who fought for political reform.

He is also part of the opposition movements calling for democracy and social justice in Egypt and currently serves as Chairman of the opposition Egyptian Social Democratic Party.

Zahran said his electoral program constitutes an integrated civil and democratic alternative with political and economic reform at its core.

Through the program, Zahran said he seeks to guarantee the improvement of people’s living conditions in a short time.