Barred hopefuls appeal against Egyptian presidency ban

Barred Egyptian candidate Abu Ismail with supporters The High Committee for the Presidential Elections in Egypt revealed it has received appeals from seven candidates of the 10 who were barred by the committee, as their bids did not match the legal criteria for presidential candidacy.
The committee\'s secretary-general, chancellor Hatem Begato said: \"The committee on Sunday received only seven appeals from the candidates: Omar Suleiman, Khairat al-Shater, Hazem Abu Ismail Hossam Khairat, Mamdouh Kotb, Ashraf Barouma and Ahmaed al-Seiedy.\" Begato said the committee will accept appeals until Monday 8pm Cairo time. The appeals will then be assessed on Tuesday while the final verdicts will be issued on Wednesday.
General Omar Suleiman\'s campaign revealed it sent more than 500 signatures issued at an earlier date than the deadline set by the committee. The campaign declared: \"Suleiman\'s position is legitimate, as quickly as the committee accepts the appeal the campaign will resume its activity\". Former spy chief Suleiman, who also served as vice president during ousted president Hosni Mubarak\'s reign, was barred due to his failure to submit at least 30000 signatures from 15 governorates or at least 1000 signatures from each. Suleiman only had 31 signatures from the 15th governorate.
The Muslim Brotherhood\'s candidate, Khairat al-Shater sent his lawyer on Monday to file an appeal. Ultraconservative Islamist candidate Hazem Abu Ismail also filed his appeal on Sunday.
The Ghad al-Thawra Party\'s candidate, Ayman Nour, said on his account on Twitter that he would also submit an appeal on Monday.
Nour is counting on Subject 74 of the sanctions law, that states if amnesty is granted to an individual, supplementary sanctions against the convicted person are rendered invalid. Nour was convicted of rigging elections during Hosni Mubarak\'s era, but was granted amnesty by the head of Egypt\'s ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. The move opened the door for him to put in a bid in Egypt\'s presidential elections scheduled for the end of May this year.
A source from inside the elections committee also told Arabstoday that the body was not going to immediately prosecute the parties responsible for violating electoral law by spreading campaign propaganda. However, the documented violations would be sent as proof to court for prosecution once the final list of presidential candidates has been declared.