Coalitions in Egypt?

Ahmed Shafiq, a former premier under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Middle ground votes were up for grabs, with both candidates since Saturday shuttling between meetings with different political forces, as they compete for the mantle of the revolution that ousted long-time president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
“The race for the coalitions has begun,” read the headline of the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.
Yesterday, share prices on the Egypt Exchange declined 3,49 percent with the main EGX-30 index slipping to 4,789.14 points.
“The first results of the presidential election have added to the political nervousness and uncertainty for the future,” financial analyst Mostafa Saad said.
The Brotherhood called a meeting of various candidates on Saturday afternoon, but the campaigns of Abul Fotouh, former foreign minister Amr Mussa and Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi said the three would not attend.
According to a tally by the Islamist group, Mursi had won 25,3 percent of the vote and Shafiq 24 percent, with Sabbahi at 22 percent.
Sabbahi said he would refuse any offer to become vice president, and said he would file a complaint over electoral irregularities that may affect the result of the first round.
On Saturday, Mursi appealed to Egyptians to pursue the goals of the revolution, a day after his movement said the nation was “in danger.”
He said he was confident the results of the June 16-17 runoff “will serve the revolution and the interests of the Egyptian people.”
He also sought to reassure secularists and the country’s Coptic Christian community which makes up around 10 percent of the 82 million population.
“As president, I will be the president for all Egyptians. (My relationship) with the Brotherhood will be the same as all Egyptians,” he said.
On Friday night, the Brotherhood said it was seeking to create a coalition of forces to challenge Shafiq.
“We call on all sincere political and national forces to unite to protect the revolution and to achieve the pledges we took before our great nation,” it said.
Shafiq also called for broad support from former rivals, calling on his competitors by name to join him and promising there would be no return to the old regime.
“I reach out to all the partners and I pledge that we would all work together for the good of Egypt,” he told a news conference.
Addressing young people who spearheaded the 2011 revolt, he said: “Your revolution has been hijacked and I am committed to bringing (it) back. I pledge now, to all Egyptians, we shall start a new era. There is no going back.”
As the top two candidates worked to rally support for the runoff, leftist candidate Sabbahi, who came third, said he was to file a complaint over alleged voting irregularities in the first round.
“We will file appeals and we will then determine whether or not we accept the results,” Sabbahi said. A Shafiq-Mursi run-off looks likely to further polarise a nation that rose up against the authoritarian Mubarak 15 months ago. — AFP.