Egypt’s presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail is likely to be disqualified after the electoral commission confirmed Saturday that his mother held U.S. citizenship.
Egypt’s presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail is likely to be disqualified after the electoral commission confirmed Saturday that his mother held U.S. citizenship. The United States has responded to Egypt’s Foreign Ministry in two letters, one saying Nawal Abdul-Aziz Nour, mother of Abu Ismail, obtained U.S. nationality on Oct. 25, 2006, and the other with a copy of Nour’s application for U.S. citizenship, Egypt’s Higher Presidential Election Commission said. Egyptian Foreign Ministry sent the document to the commission in response to its inquiry about the nationalities of Abu Ismail and other candidates, their spouses and parents. Under Egyptian law, a presidential candidate, his parents and wives can only have Egyptian nationality. Abu Ismail, a popular Salafist, has submitted his candidacy papers to join the presidential race. Among the top hopefuls are Khairat al-Shater from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and former MB member Abdel Moneim Abou Fotouh.