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Egypt Leftist to Challenge Sissi in Presidential Bid


Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi (C) waves upon arrival to submit his bid to run in the presidential poll at the election committee office in Cairo, April 19, 2014.
Leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi (C) waves upon arrival to submit his bid to run in the presidential poll at the election committee office in Cairo, April 19, 2014.
Next month's presidential election in Egypt will be contested by just two candidates, after no one else filed paperwork to run in the polls by Sunday's deadline.

Former Egyptian army general Abdel el-Sissi will face a challenge from leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi.

Officials from the Presidential Elections Committee say Sissi submitted close to 200,000 signatures backing his candidacy, far more than the required 25,000 endorsements. Sabbihi submitted around 30,000.

A final list of candidates will be released on May 2 for the vote scheduled for May 26 and 27.

Sissi, the general who toppled Egypt's first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in July after one year in office, is widely expected to win the election. He enjoys solid support from state-run and privately owned media.

Sabahi came in third in the 2012 election won by Morsi.
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