Egyptian presidential election, 2011
Encyclopedia
A presidential election is expected to be held in Egypt
in March or April 2012. It will be the second even remotely competitive presidential election in Egypt's history, following the 2005 election
and presidential confirmation referendums in 1999
, 1993
, and earlier
. Hosni Mubarak
had been President from 1981
until February 2011.
Declared candidates include former International Atomic Energy Agency
Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei and Arab League
Secretary-General Amr Moussa
.
, and political commentator Emad Adeeb
.
ElBaradei's declaration has elicited mixed reactions in the Egyptian political world, where some considered it an embarrassing message to the regime from a "heavy weight" international figure in an attempt to push the regime to review the process of devolution of power in Egypt; while others saw in this declaration that the United Nations
nuclear watchdog shows promise in exerting real efforts that attempt to open new horizons for the "strangulated" Egyptian political life.
ElBaradei said in a statement sent from his office in Vienna to Al-Shorouk newspaper that "He did not announce willingness or unwillingness to participate in the upcoming presidential election... and that he will clear his position on the presidency after November". His office manager added:
The New Wafd Party
and other opposition political forces have announced that they are ready to support ElBaradei if he decided to run for the 2011 presidential elections. However, Mohamed ElBaradei stated that if he decides to run for the 2011 elections, he prefers to run as an Independent Candidate, rather than running as a candidate of any of the existing political parties.
ElBaradei did not make any clear statements regarding his intentions to run for the office, however he has demanded that certain conditions have to be met to ensure fair elections accompanied by changes to the constitution that will allow more freedom for independent candidates before he would actually consider running for presidency. Several opposition groups and parties have endorsed him, considering him a neutral figure who could transition the country to greater democracy
.
On 24 February 2010, ElBaradei met with several opposition leaders and notable intellects at his home in Cairo
. The meeting was concluded with an announcement for the formation of a new non-party-political movement called "National Association for Change
". The movement aims for general reforms in the political scene and mainly burke the Constitutional article#76 which places restrictions on true free presidential elections especially when it comes to independent candidates. Worth mentioning is that the banned political group the Muslim Brotherhood
were represented by one of their key figures who attended the meeting however their stand in accepting a non-member of their group as a candidate is yet unclear. It is also unknown whether Amr Moussa
the head of the Arab League
who met with Elbaradei a day earlier will be part of the new movement.
ElBaradei stated on 12 February 2011 (after Mubarak stepped down) that he would not run in presidential elections. However, on 9 March 2011, he stated he would run in the election.
ElBaradei and U.S. Relations
Mohamed El-Baradei, leader of the National Coalition for Change, has been a major voice for democratic change in Egypt since 2009 and was a significant leader during the recent protests. However, he has a rocky history with the U.S. government and supports some policies that do not support current U.S. foreign policy towards stability in the Middle East. El-Baradei was the Director General of the IAEA from 1997–2009. During his term, he repeatedly said that Iran's nuclear program was legal and for peaceful purposes despite U.S. rhetoric arguing the opposite. According to a July 3, 2003 article in Time Magazine, ElBaradei also maintained that Iraq was not harboring weapons of mass destruction after inspections of Iraqi facilities before and during the recent Iraq War, despite President Bush stating the opposite during that time period. He stated to Speigel on July 12, 2010, a German news agency that he wanted to open the Gaza Strip – Egypt border and accused Israel of being the biggest threat to the Middle East because of their nuclear weapons. These policy perspectives have made El-Baradei not popular with the U.S. administration and Israel, a close U.S. ally in the region.
refused to rule out the possibility of running for the office, leaving the door open to expectations. He argued that, "It's the right of every citizen that has the capacity and efficiency to aspire to any political office that would allow him to contribute to the service of his nation". He further stated to the press that the qualities required of the President also apply to Gamal Mubarak
, arguing that the citizenship, rights and obligations which apply to himself can also be applied to Gamal Mubarak
. He also expressed appreciation for "the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the Egyptian presidency, and expressed that the message reached him.".
On February 27 he announced he would be running for president saying "God willing, I will be one of them."
A poll conducted during the 2011 protests asking "who do you think should be the next President of Egypt?" showed Moussa in the lead, with 26% of respondents naming him.
Amr Moussa and U.S. Relations
Amr Moussa has been heavily involved with Egypt's foreign policy since 1958. Moussa has been Egypt's Ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Switzerland over a total period of 21 years. After serving as Egypt's Foreign Minister from 1991–2001, he served as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Moussa has been an extremely popular political figure in Egypt due to his criticism of Israeli policies towards Gaza and the West Bank. At the Forum for New Diplomacy in February 2010, Moussa gave a speech in which he criticized the U.S. government's double standard supporting Israel's nuclear weapons policy but not allowing Iran to pursue nuclear energy. He also criticized Western countries, including the U.S. for not recognizing the results of the 2006 Palestinian elections that brought Hamas into power. Like El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, he supports opening the Gaza Strip/Egypt border (Seale, 2010). His criticisms have made Moussa extremely popular despite his association with Mubarak's political organization, the National Democratic Party. Many political commentators said the Mubarak sent him to work for the Arab League in 2001 so as not to compete as a presidential candidate in the 2005 Presidential elections because of his popularity. Amr Moussa announced that he would be running as a presidential candidate on March 1, 2011.
, a Muslim Brotherhood
figure popular with Egyptian youths, declared his candidacy in May 2011. He was expelled from the Brotherhood for this decision on 20 June of that year, as it contradicted an earlier Guidance Bureau decision that the Brotherhood would not put forward a candidate in 2011.
, an Islamic thinker, declared his candidacy on 14 June 2011. The fact that Al-Awa and Aboul Fotouh belong to the same school of thought have led to press speculation about vote-splitting and the possibility of their uniting behind a single candidate. Aboul Fotouh has recognized this possibility.
Ayman Nour
is the founder and leader of the Al-Ghad Party and former candidate in the 2005 presidential elections
in which he emerged as runner-up to the winning President Hosni Mubarak.
Ayman Nour was jailed in 2006 few months after the presidential elections when he was convicted in charges of forgery
. He was later removed from the presidency of Al-Ghad Party.
In February 2009, he was released from prison under an amnesty due to health reasons. Portions of the Egyptian press alleged that Ayman Nour was released from prison due to U.S. President Obama demanding his release as a condition to meet with Mubarak .
Ayman Nour may not be able to run for the 2011 presidential elections because of being an ex-convict and a former prisoner.
Sameh Ashour is a senior vice of the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party and is also a member of its supreme body. He used to be a member of the People's Assembly
between 1995 and 2005.
Refaat El-Saeed is the President of the Progressive Unionist Party
and is a current member of the Shura Council
.
El-Sayyid el-Badawi
is the current president of the New Wafd Party
.
Mamdouh Ramzi is a Coptic lawyer
who is a member of the Free Social Constitutional Party
.
Abdullah Al Ashaal is a former aid to a former Egyptian Foreign Minister and former ambassador. He announced that in the case of a change of article 76 of the constitution will run as an independent in the upcoming presidential election and if the article 76 does not change he will join and run as a member of a political party. He added that The NDP has lost its credibility due to the spread of corruption and the party's failure of The NDP to offer something to the average citizen.
Anis Degheidy is a politician and a novelist who announced that he might run.
Bothaina Kamel
, a media personality and pro-democracy activist, announced her candidacy in April 2011.
Leading figures in the Muslim Brotherhood
have refused to go into Egypt's presidential election even if they get the legal requirements and have opposed women and Copts from running for the presidency.
. According to the YouGov survey of 1871 Egyptians between 15-20 February, Almost half of all Egyptians (49%) believed that Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab
League, was the man most capable of leading the next Egyptian Government. Other potential Presidents, Ahmed Zewill (13%) & Ayman Nour, Mubarak’s 2005 Presidential rival (1%), trailed Moussa by a huge margin. Almost 1 in 10 (9%) believed former Vice President, Omar Sulieman, should be Egypt’s new leader. The majority (81%) of Egyptians believed that the army would facilitate free and fair elections.
According to a survey conducted for the International Peace Institute
amongst 615 adult citizens of Egypt from 9 to 20 March, 37% would have voted for Amr Moussa
, 16% for Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, 12% for Ahmed Zewail
, 7% for Essam Sharaf
, 5% for Omar Suleiman
, 2% for Mohamed ElBaradei, and 1% for Ayman Nour
.
An April, 2011 survey of 1,000 Egyptians by Pew Research Center
’s Global Attitudes Project with a margin of error of four percentage points found that the most popular Egyptian politician was Amr Moussa
with 41% of Egyptians viewing him as "very favourable," followed by Ayman Nour
with 32% and Mohamed ElBaradei with 25%. Some 75% had a favourable view of the Muslim Brotherhood
, but only 17% believed they should lead the next government.
In June, 2011 poll by IPI, former Arab League SecretaryGeneral Amr Moussa remains front runner for the November presidential election with 32 % of voting intentions. If they run, sitting Prime Minister Essam Sharaf would place second at 16 % and Marshall Mohammad Tantawi third at 8%. Opposition leaders Mohammad El Baradei and
Ayman Nour get just 2 % and 3 % of vote intentions respectively.
An July, 2011 survey for Newsweek
/The Daily Beast
showed the following results: 16% Amr Moussa, 12% Mohamed ElBaradei, 12% Ahmed Shafik
, 6% Mohamed Selim El Awa, 5% Abdel ElMoneim Abu ElFottoh, 5% Field Marshal Tantawi, 4% Omar Suleiman, 4% Magdy Hatata, 4% Hisham El-Bastawesi, 4% Ayman Nour (al-Ghad), 2% Hamdeen Sabahi
(al-Karama), 27% Don’t know/Undecided. When asked who would they choose between Amr Moussa, Mohamed ElBaradei and AbdElMonem Abul Futuh, 47% favored Moussa, 19% ELBaradei, 16% Futuh and 18% weren't sure.
On 23 August Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) and the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) presented the outcome of a voters survey they have conducted amongst 2,400 Egyptians of voting age from 5 to 17 August. According to it, 44% of the respondents would vote for Amr Moussa, 12% for Ahmed Shafiq, 9% for Omar Suleiman, 6% for Ayman Nour, 5% each for Hamdeen Sabahi, Hazem Salah Abu Ismail
, and Salim Al-Awa
, 4% each for Mohamed ElBaradei and Hisham Bastawisy
, and 2% each for Abdel-Moneim Aboul-Fotouh and Magdy Hatata.
A Press TV survey conducted by Synovate and published on 4 October with a sample of 1,030 respondents showed nearly 42 percent supporting Amr Moussa, 15 percent for Ahmed Shafiq, and 13 percent favoring Mohammed ElBaradei.
The second national voter survey by APSSC and DEDI showed 44.8% support for Amr Moussa, 13.2% for Ahmed Shafik, 10.8% for Omar Suleiman, 5.7% for Hamdeen Sabahi, 5.2% for Abu Ismail, and 5.0% for Ayman Nour. Nine other candidates were taken into account in the 11-12 September survey among 2,400 Egyptians above the age of 18.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in March or April 2012. It will be the second even remotely competitive presidential election in Egypt's history, following the 2005 election
Egyptian presidential election, 2005
The Egyptian presidential election of 2005, held on September 7, 2005, was the first allegedly contested presidential election in Egypt's history. Hosni Mubarak, the former President of Egypt, won a fifth consecutive six-year term in office, with official results showing he won 88.6% of the vote...
and presidential confirmation referendums in 1999
Egyptian presidential confirmation referendum, 1999
A referendum on Hosni Mubarak's candidacy for President was held in Egypt on 26 September 1999, after he was nominated for the post by the People's Assembly. Mubarak was supported by all four main opposition parties, with the exception of the Nasserist Party....
, 1993
Egyptian presidential confirmation referendum, 1993
A referendum on Hosni Mubarak's candidacy for President was held in Egypt on 4 October 1993, after he was nominated for the post by a 439-9 vote in the People's Assembly on 21 July. Mubarak's candidacy for a third consecutive six-year term was approved by 96.3% of voters, with a turnout of...
, and earlier
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
. Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
had been President from 1981
Egyptian presidential confirmation referendum, 1981
A referendum on Hosni Mubarak's candidacy for President was held in Egypt on 13 October 1981, following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat on 6 October. Mubarak won 98.5% of the vote, with an 81.1% turnout.-Results:...
until February 2011.
Declared candidates include former International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei and Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
Secretary-General Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
.
Proposals for pre-election constitutional changes
Several proposals have been made for the 1971 Constitution of Egypt to be further amended or replaced prior to the election, including those by Osama Shehata, journalist Mohamed Hassanein HeikalMohamed Hassanein Heikal
Mohamed Hassanein Heikal is a leading Egyptian journalist. For 17 years he was editor-in-chief of the Cairo newspaper Al-Ahram and has been a respected commentator on Arab affairs for more than 50 years.-Background and Books:...
, and political commentator Emad Adeeb
Emad Adeeb
- Personal life :He Is also a Successful Businessman and Has 4 Kids Nevine Riad Jala Riad Mohamed Adeeb And Ahmed Adeeb. His Family Also includes Bassima El Fakharany, his Mother, Adel Adeeb and Amr Adeeb, his Brothers, And Abdelhay Adeeb , His Father...
.
Declared candidates
 |
 |
|||
| Mohamed ElBaradei | Amr Moussa Amr Moussa Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election.... |
Hazem Salah Abu Ismail Hazem Salah Abu Ismail Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is an Egyptian scholar and Islamic thinker. As an Egyptian Muslim - and a lawyer and spokesman in the Islamic thought and political affairs, and Islamic and public, his studies of constitutional law and legalities are extensive. He's thought to represent the Salafist... |
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady ) is an Egyptian physician and politician. He is currently Secretary-General of the Arab Medical Union. Formerly he was a member of the Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood... |
Mohammad Salim Al-Awa Mohammad Salim Al-Awa Mohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue... |
| The ex-Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency International Atomic Energy Agency The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957... (IAEA), and the winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who... |
The ex-Secretary-General Secretary-General -International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:... of the League of Arab States, and former Foreign Minister Foreign minister A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in... |
An Islamist figure and an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an... . He is also a known TV host amongst Egyptians. |
Secretary-General of the Arab Medical Union; former member of the Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an... |
Islamist thinker; ex-Secretary General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars; head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue |
Mohamed ElBaradei
In November 2009 and amidst the political controversy over the 2011 presidential elections and the constitutional impediments placed in the faces of candidates under the amended Article 76 in the 2007 constitution and amidst speculation about the escalation of President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal Mubarak, Mohamed ElBaradei decided to respond to the continuous pressing from people who asked him to run for the 2011 elections and stated the he might actually run for the upcoming presidential elections. However, he has underlined a condition for him to run for the elections, this condition is a "written assurance" about the integrity and freedom of the electoral process from the Government. ElBaradei said in a television interview conducted with CNN News, "I will study the possibility of running for presidential candidate in Egypt if there any written guarantees that the electoral process will be free and fair."ElBaradei's declaration has elicited mixed reactions in the Egyptian political world, where some considered it an embarrassing message to the regime from a "heavy weight" international figure in an attempt to push the regime to review the process of devolution of power in Egypt; while others saw in this declaration that the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
nuclear watchdog shows promise in exerting real efforts that attempt to open new horizons for the "strangulated" Egyptian political life.
ElBaradei said in a statement sent from his office in Vienna to Al-Shorouk newspaper that "He did not announce willingness or unwillingness to participate in the upcoming presidential election... and that he will clear his position on the presidency after November". His office manager added:
The New Wafd Party
New Wafd Party
The New Wafd Party is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt.It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983...
and other opposition political forces have announced that they are ready to support ElBaradei if he decided to run for the 2011 presidential elections. However, Mohamed ElBaradei stated that if he decides to run for the 2011 elections, he prefers to run as an Independent Candidate, rather than running as a candidate of any of the existing political parties.
ElBaradei did not make any clear statements regarding his intentions to run for the office, however he has demanded that certain conditions have to be met to ensure fair elections accompanied by changes to the constitution that will allow more freedom for independent candidates before he would actually consider running for presidency. Several opposition groups and parties have endorsed him, considering him a neutral figure who could transition the country to greater democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
On 24 February 2010, ElBaradei met with several opposition leaders and notable intellects at his home in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. The meeting was concluded with an announcement for the formation of a new non-party-political movement called "National Association for Change
National Association for Change
National Association for Change is a loose grouping of the various Egyptian of all political affiliations and religion, men and women, including representatives of civil society and young people aims to change Egypt. There was general agreement on the need to unite all the voices calling for...
". The movement aims for general reforms in the political scene and mainly burke the Constitutional article#76 which places restrictions on true free presidential elections especially when it comes to independent candidates. Worth mentioning is that the banned political group the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
were represented by one of their key figures who attended the meeting however their stand in accepting a non-member of their group as a candidate is yet unclear. It is also unknown whether Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
the head of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
who met with Elbaradei a day earlier will be part of the new movement.
ElBaradei stated on 12 February 2011 (after Mubarak stepped down) that he would not run in presidential elections. However, on 9 March 2011, he stated he would run in the election.
ElBaradei and U.S. Relations
Mohamed El-Baradei, leader of the National Coalition for Change, has been a major voice for democratic change in Egypt since 2009 and was a significant leader during the recent protests. However, he has a rocky history with the U.S. government and supports some policies that do not support current U.S. foreign policy towards stability in the Middle East. El-Baradei was the Director General of the IAEA from 1997–2009. During his term, he repeatedly said that Iran's nuclear program was legal and for peaceful purposes despite U.S. rhetoric arguing the opposite. According to a July 3, 2003 article in Time Magazine, ElBaradei also maintained that Iraq was not harboring weapons of mass destruction after inspections of Iraqi facilities before and during the recent Iraq War, despite President Bush stating the opposite during that time period. He stated to Speigel on July 12, 2010, a German news agency that he wanted to open the Gaza Strip – Egypt border and accused Israel of being the biggest threat to the Middle East because of their nuclear weapons. These policy perspectives have made El-Baradei not popular with the U.S. administration and Israel, a close U.S. ally in the region.
Amr Moussa
When asked about the rumors that he might run for the 2011 presidential elections, Amr MoussaAmr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
refused to rule out the possibility of running for the office, leaving the door open to expectations. He argued that, "It's the right of every citizen that has the capacity and efficiency to aspire to any political office that would allow him to contribute to the service of his nation". He further stated to the press that the qualities required of the President also apply to Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
, arguing that the citizenship, rights and obligations which apply to himself can also be applied to Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Mubarak
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarak , , is the younger of the two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak...
. He also expressed appreciation for "the confidence expressed by many people when they talk about his candidacy for the Egyptian presidency, and expressed that the message reached him.".
On February 27 he announced he would be running for president saying "God willing, I will be one of them."
A poll conducted during the 2011 protests asking "who do you think should be the next President of Egypt?" showed Moussa in the lead, with 26% of respondents naming him.
Amr Moussa and U.S. Relations
Amr Moussa has been heavily involved with Egypt's foreign policy since 1958. Moussa has been Egypt's Ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Switzerland over a total period of 21 years. After serving as Egypt's Foreign Minister from 1991–2001, he served as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Moussa has been an extremely popular political figure in Egypt due to his criticism of Israeli policies towards Gaza and the West Bank. At the Forum for New Diplomacy in February 2010, Moussa gave a speech in which he criticized the U.S. government's double standard supporting Israel's nuclear weapons policy but not allowing Iran to pursue nuclear energy. He also criticized Western countries, including the U.S. for not recognizing the results of the 2006 Palestinian elections that brought Hamas into power. Like El-Baradei and the Muslim Brotherhood, he supports opening the Gaza Strip/Egypt border (Seale, 2010). His criticisms have made Moussa extremely popular despite his association with Mubarak's political organization, the National Democratic Party. Many political commentators said the Mubarak sent him to work for the Arab League in 2001 so as not to compete as a presidential candidate in the 2005 Presidential elections because of his popularity. Amr Moussa announced that he would be running as a presidential candidate on March 1, 2011.
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh
Abdel Moneim Aboul FotouhAbdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh
Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady ) is an Egyptian physician and politician. He is currently Secretary-General of the Arab Medical Union. Formerly he was a member of the Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood...
, a Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
figure popular with Egyptian youths, declared his candidacy in May 2011. He was expelled from the Brotherhood for this decision on 20 June of that year, as it contradicted an earlier Guidance Bureau decision that the Brotherhood would not put forward a candidate in 2011.
Mohammed Salim Al-Awa
Mohammad Salim Al-AwaMohammad Salim Al-Awa
Mohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue...
, an Islamic thinker, declared his candidacy on 14 June 2011. The fact that Al-Awa and Aboul Fotouh belong to the same school of thought have led to press speculation about vote-splitting and the possibility of their uniting behind a single candidate. Aboul Fotouh has recognized this possibility.
Previous government
The army stated on 17 February 2011 it would not field a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.Member of a political party
| Potential candidates from the opposition (Members of different political parties) | ||||
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| Ayman Nour Ayman Nour Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009... |
Sameh Ashour | Refaat El-Saeed | El-Sayyid el-Badawi El-Sayyid el-Badawi El-Sayyid el-Badawi Shehata is an Egyptian businessman and the President of Al-Wafd Party. He graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Alexandria in 1973. He is the head of the Board of Directors of Al-Hayah Egyptian television network.- References :... |
Mamdouh Ramzi |
| The founder and leader of the Al-Ghad Party and former candidate in the 2005 presidential elections Egyptian presidential election, 2005 The Egyptian presidential election of 2005, held on September 7, 2005, was the first allegedly contested presidential election in Egypt's history. Hosni Mubarak, the former President of Egypt, won a fifth consecutive six-year term in office, with official results showing he won 88.6% of the vote... in which he emerged as runner-up to the winning President Hosni Mubarak |
A senior vice of the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party | The President of the Progressive Unionist Party National Progressive Unionist Party The National Progressive Unionist Party is a socialist political party in Egypt. The party is considered to be the defender of the principles of the 1952 Revolution... and is a current member of the Shura Council Shura Council The Shura Council is the upper house of Egyptian bicameral Parliament. Its name roughly translates into English as "the Consultative Council". The lower house of parliament is the People's Assembly.... |
The current president of the New Wafd Party New Wafd Party The New Wafd Party is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt.It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983... |
A Coptic lawyer Lawyer A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political... who is a member of the Free Social Constitutional Party Free Social Constitutional Party The Free Social Constitutional Party or Al-Hizb Al-Distouri is a political party in Egypt. The Free Social Constitutional Party might be considered as a liberal party.- Platform :* Drafting a new Constitution.* Reforming education.... |
Ayman Nour
Ayman Nour
Ayman Nour
Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009...
is the founder and leader of the Al-Ghad Party and former candidate in the 2005 presidential elections
Egyptian presidential election, 2005
The Egyptian presidential election of 2005, held on September 7, 2005, was the first allegedly contested presidential election in Egypt's history. Hosni Mubarak, the former President of Egypt, won a fifth consecutive six-year term in office, with official results showing he won 88.6% of the vote...
in which he emerged as runner-up to the winning President Hosni Mubarak.
Ayman Nour was jailed in 2006 few months after the presidential elections when he was convicted in charges of forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
. He was later removed from the presidency of Al-Ghad Party.
In February 2009, he was released from prison under an amnesty due to health reasons. Portions of the Egyptian press alleged that Ayman Nour was released from prison due to U.S. President Obama demanding his release as a condition to meet with Mubarak .
Ayman Nour may not be able to run for the 2011 presidential elections because of being an ex-convict and a former prisoner.
Sameh Ashour
Sameh Ashour is a senior vice of the Arab Democratic Nasserist Party and is also a member of its supreme body. He used to be a member of the People's Assembly
People's Assembly of Egypt
The People's Assembly is the lower house of Egypt's bicameral parliament. In spite of its lower status, however, it plays a more important role in drafting legislation and day-to-day legislative duties than the Shura Council, the upper house....
between 1995 and 2005.
Refaat El-Saeed
Refaat El-Saeed is the President of the Progressive Unionist Party
National Progressive Unionist Party
The National Progressive Unionist Party is a socialist political party in Egypt. The party is considered to be the defender of the principles of the 1952 Revolution...
and is a current member of the Shura Council
Shura Council
The Shura Council is the upper house of Egyptian bicameral Parliament. Its name roughly translates into English as "the Consultative Council". The lower house of parliament is the People's Assembly....
.
El-Sayyid el-Badawi
El-Sayyid el-Badawi
El-Sayyid el-Badawi
El-Sayyid el-Badawi Shehata is an Egyptian businessman and the President of Al-Wafd Party. He graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Alexandria in 1973. He is the head of the Board of Directors of Al-Hayah Egyptian television network.- References :...
is the current president of the New Wafd Party
New Wafd Party
The New Wafd Party is a nationalist liberal party in Egypt.It is the extension of one of the oldest and historically most active political parties in Egypt, Wafd Party, which was dismantled after the 1952 Revolution. The New Wafd was re-established in 1983...
.
Mamdouh Ramzi
Mamdouh Ramzi is a Coptic lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who is a member of the Free Social Constitutional Party
Free Social Constitutional Party
The Free Social Constitutional Party or Al-Hizb Al-Distouri is a political party in Egypt. The Free Social Constitutional Party might be considered as a liberal party.- Platform :* Drafting a new Constitution.* Reforming education....
.
Independent
| Potential candidates from the opposition (Independent) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
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| Bothaina Kamel Bothaina Kamel Bothaina Kamel is an Egyptian television anchor, activist, and politician. A long time pro-democracy advocate, her professional career has been marked by repeated conflict with authorities. She recently announced her candidacy for the Egyptian presidency.Kamel hosted a popular Egyptian radio... |
Abdullah Al Ashaal | |||
| Only Female Candidate | ||||
Abdullah Al Ashaal
Abdullah Al Ashaal is a former aid to a former Egyptian Foreign Minister and former ambassador. He announced that in the case of a change of article 76 of the constitution will run as an independent in the upcoming presidential election and if the article 76 does not change he will join and run as a member of a political party. He added that The NDP has lost its credibility due to the spread of corruption and the party's failure of The NDP to offer something to the average citizen.
Anis Degheidy
Anis Degheidy is a politician and a novelist who announced that he might run.
Bothaina Kamel
Bothaina Kamel
Bothaina Kamel
Bothaina Kamel is an Egyptian television anchor, activist, and politician. A long time pro-democracy advocate, her professional career has been marked by repeated conflict with authorities. She recently announced her candidacy for the Egyptian presidency.Kamel hosted a popular Egyptian radio...
, a media personality and pro-democracy activist, announced her candidacy in April 2011.
Other
Leading figures in the Muslim Brotherhood
History of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Ismailia, Egypt by Hassan al-Banna in March 1928 as an Islamist religious, political, and social movement...
have refused to go into Egypt's presidential election even if they get the legal requirements and have opposed women and Copts from running for the presidency.
Opinion Polls
The first opinion poll conducted in Egypt post Mubarak, was conducted by YouGovYouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
. According to the YouGov survey of 1871 Egyptians between 15-20 February, Almost half of all Egyptians (49%) believed that Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab
League, was the man most capable of leading the next Egyptian Government. Other potential Presidents, Ahmed Zewill (13%) & Ayman Nour, Mubarak’s 2005 Presidential rival (1%), trailed Moussa by a huge margin. Almost 1 in 10 (9%) believed former Vice President, Omar Sulieman, should be Egypt’s new leader. The majority (81%) of Egyptians believed that the army would facilitate free and fair elections.
According to a survey conducted for the International Peace Institute
International Peace Institute
The International Peace Institute is an independent non-profit research and policy development institution based in New York. IPI specializes in multilateral approaches to peace and security issues, working closely with the Secretariat and membership of the United Nations...
amongst 615 adult citizens of Egypt from 9 to 20 March, 37% would have voted for Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
, 16% for Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, 12% for Ahmed Zewail
Ahmed Zewail
Ahmed Hassan Zewail is an Egyptian-American scientist who won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry. He is the Linus Pauling Chair Professor Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology.- Birth and education :Ahmed Zewail was born on...
, 7% for Essam Sharaf
Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:...
, 5% for Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman
Omar Suleiman is a former Egyptian army general, politician, diplomat, and intelligence officer. A leading figure in Egypt's intelligence system beginning in 1986, Suleiman was appointed to the long-vacant Vice Presidency by then-President Hosni Mubarak on 29 January 2011...
, 2% for Mohamed ElBaradei, and 1% for Ayman Nour
Ayman Nour
Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009...
.
An April, 2011 survey of 1,000 Egyptians by Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is an American think tank organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides information on issues, attitudes and trends shaping the United States and the world. The Center and its projects receive funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 1990, Donald S...
’s Global Attitudes Project with a margin of error of four percentage points found that the most popular Egyptian politician was Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa
Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election....
with 41% of Egyptians viewing him as "very favourable," followed by Ayman Nour
Ayman Nour
Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009...
with 32% and Mohamed ElBaradei with 25%. Some 75% had a favourable view of the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, but only 17% believed they should lead the next government.
In June, 2011 poll by IPI, former Arab League SecretaryGeneral Amr Moussa remains front runner for the November presidential election with 32 % of voting intentions. If they run, sitting Prime Minister Essam Sharaf would place second at 16 % and Marshall Mohammad Tantawi third at 8%. Opposition leaders Mohammad El Baradei and
Ayman Nour get just 2 % and 3 % of vote intentions respectively.
An July, 2011 survey for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
/The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
showed the following results: 16% Amr Moussa, 12% Mohamed ElBaradei, 12% Ahmed Shafik
Ahmed Shafik
Ahmed Mohamed Shafik is a former senior commander in the Egyptian Air Force and politician who served as Prime Minister of Egypt from January 2011 to March 2011....
, 6% Mohamed Selim El Awa, 5% Abdel ElMoneim Abu ElFottoh, 5% Field Marshal Tantawi, 4% Omar Suleiman, 4% Magdy Hatata, 4% Hisham El-Bastawesi, 4% Ayman Nour (al-Ghad), 2% Hamdeen Sabahi
Hamdeen Sabahi
Hamdeen Sabahi the leader of the Dignity Party and one of the leades of the Egyptian opposition before the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He said he will run for president in the Egyptian presidential election, 2011....
(al-Karama), 27% Don’t know/Undecided. When asked who would they choose between Amr Moussa, Mohamed ElBaradei and AbdElMonem Abul Futuh, 47% favored Moussa, 19% ELBaradei, 16% Futuh and 18% weren't sure.
On 23 August Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) and the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute (DEDI) presented the outcome of a voters survey they have conducted amongst 2,400 Egyptians of voting age from 5 to 17 August. According to it, 44% of the respondents would vote for Amr Moussa, 12% for Ahmed Shafiq, 9% for Omar Suleiman, 6% for Ayman Nour, 5% each for Hamdeen Sabahi, Hazem Salah Abu Ismail
Hazem Salah Abu Ismail
Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is an Egyptian scholar and Islamic thinker. As an Egyptian Muslim - and a lawyer and spokesman in the Islamic thought and political affairs, and Islamic and public, his studies of constitutional law and legalities are extensive. He's thought to represent the Salafist...
, and Salim Al-Awa
Mohammad Salim Al-Awa
Mohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue...
, 4% each for Mohamed ElBaradei and Hisham Bastawisy
Hisham Bastawisy
Hisham Mohammed Osman Bastawisy is an Egyptian judge and the vice president of the Egyptian Court of Cassation. He was one of the leaders of the Egyptian opposition before and during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He said he will run for president in the Egyptian presidential election,...
, and 2% each for Abdel-Moneim Aboul-Fotouh and Magdy Hatata.
A Press TV survey conducted by Synovate and published on 4 October with a sample of 1,030 respondents showed nearly 42 percent supporting Amr Moussa, 15 percent for Ahmed Shafiq, and 13 percent favoring Mohammed ElBaradei.
The second national voter survey by APSSC and DEDI showed 44.8% support for Amr Moussa, 13.2% for Ahmed Shafik, 10.8% for Omar Suleiman, 5.7% for Hamdeen Sabahi, 5.2% for Abu Ismail, and 5.0% for Ayman Nour. Nine other candidates were taken into account in the 11-12 September survey among 2,400 Egyptians above the age of 18.
| Conducted/ Published |
Polling Organisation/ Client |
Sample size | Amr Moussa Amr Moussa Amr Mohammed Moussa is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 until 1 June 2011. He is a candidate in the 2011 Egyptian presidential election.... |
Ahmed Shafik Ahmed Shafik Ahmed Mohamed Shafik is a former senior commander in the Egyptian Air Force and politician who served as Prime Minister of Egypt from January 2011 to March 2011.... |
Mohamed ElBaradei | Omar Suleiman Omar Suleiman Omar Suleiman is a former Egyptian army general, politician, diplomat, and intelligence officer. A leading figure in Egypt's intelligence system beginning in 1986, Suleiman was appointed to the long-vacant Vice Presidency by then-President Hosni Mubarak on 29 January 2011... |
Abu Ismail Hazem Salah Abu Ismail Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is an Egyptian scholar and Islamic thinker. As an Egyptian Muslim - and a lawyer and spokesman in the Islamic thought and political affairs, and Islamic and public, his studies of constitutional law and legalities are extensive. He's thought to represent the Salafist... |
Salim Al-Awa Mohammad Salim Al-Awa Mohammad Salim Al-Awa is an Egyptian Islamist thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue... |
Hamdeen Sabahi Hamdeen Sabahi Hamdeen Sabahi the leader of the Dignity Party and one of the leades of the Egyptian opposition before the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He said he will run for president in the Egyptian presidential election, 2011.... (DP Dignity Party (Egypt) The Dignity Party is a left-wing Nasserist political party founded in Egypt in 1996.... ) |
Ayman Nour Ayman Nour Ayman Abd El Aziz Nour is an Egyptian politician, a former member of the Egyptian Parliament and chairman of the El Ghad party.He was imprisoned in January 2005 by the government of President Hosni Mubarak. Nour was released on health grounds on February 18, 2009... (Ghad) |
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Abdel Hady ) is an Egyptian physician and politician. He is currently Secretary-General of the Arab Medical Union. Formerly he was a member of the Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood... |
FM Mohamed Tantawi | Ahmed Zewail Ahmed Zewail Ahmed Hassan Zewail is an Egyptian-American scientist who won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry. He is the Linus Pauling Chair Professor Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology.- Birth and education :Ahmed Zewail was born on... |
Essam Sharaf Essam Sharaf Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:... |
other | undecided | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2011 | YouGov YouGov YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi... |
1871 | 49% | – | 2% | 9% | – | – | 1% | 1% | – | - | 13% | - | 11% | 13% | ||||||||||||
| Mar 2011 | IPI International Peace Institute The International Peace Institute is an independent non-profit research and policy development institution based in New York. IPI specializes in multilateral approaches to peace and security issues, working closely with the Secretariat and membership of the United Nations... |
615 | 37% | – | 2% | 5% | – | – | – | 1% | – | 16% | 12% | 7% | 2% | 14% | ||||||||||||
| Jun 2011 | IPI International Peace Institute The International Peace Institute is an independent non-profit research and policy development institution based in New York. IPI specializes in multilateral approaches to peace and security issues, working closely with the Secretariat and membership of the United Nations... |
800 | 32% | – | 2% | – | – | – | 3% | 3% | – | 8% | - | 16% | 18% | - | ||||||||||||
| Jun/Jul 2011 | Newsweek/ Daily Beast |
1008 | 16% | 12% | 12% | 4% | – | 6% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 5% | – | – | 8% | 27% | ||||||||||||
| " | (3-way race) | " | 47% | – | 19% | – | – | – | – | – | 16% | – | – | – | – | 18% | ||||||||||||
| Aug 2011 | ACPSS | 2,400 | 44% | 12% | 4% | 9% | 5.2% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 2% | – | – | – | 12% | 45% | ||||||||||||
| Oct 2011 | Synovate | 1,030 | 42% | 15% | 13% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 30% | – | ||||||||||||
| Oct 2011 | ACPSS | 2,400 | 44.8% | 13.2% | 3.5% | 10.8% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 5.0% | 1.6% | – | – | – | 11.2% | ? | ||||||||||||
| Nov 2011 | ACPSS | 2,400 | 38.9% | 8.5% | 2.9% | 6.6% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 1.5% | – | – | – | 24.5% | ? | ||||||||||||