Representatives from the presidential campaigns of Hamdeen Sabbahi, Abul Ezz al-Hariry, and Hesham al-Bastawisi held a meeting Thursday evening at the headquarters of the National Association for Change to agree on a single revolutionary candidate.
The meeting participants discussed the basic principles that should be met in the platform of one candidate they would agree upon to represent the revolutionary camp in order to avoid splitting the vote.
Sources with knowledge of the details of the meeting told MENA that it was the fourth such meeting that has occurred and that representatives of Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh's presidential campaign also attend these meetings.
Presidential hopeful Khaled Ali has said that he would waive his candidacy if a single candidate is chosen, the sources added.
The sources said that a “committee of wise men” would be put together to choose a single candidate if the candidates fail to agree among themselves. The same sources also confirmed that the next meeting between the representatives was scheduled for Saturday evening, during which they would agree on a date for a meeting between candidates themselves.
The participants issued a statement in which they emphasized the need for agreement between the candidates on the general principles that should be included in the platform of the revolutionary consensus candidate.
Among the principles outlined were the civilian, democratic nature of the state and the guarantee of full citizenship rights without discrimination on the basis of religion, race or gender. They welcomed the accession of any candidate if he adopted these principles in his platform.
The representatives of the campaigns also stressed the need to include these principles in the Egyptian constitution in order to represent the goals of the revolution and the diversity of Egyptian society.
The sources said the campaign representatives want to issue joint statements from the candidates on certain issues. The representatives hope the candidates will agree that the decision of the committee of wise men would be binding should it have to be formed.
Edited translation from MENA
