The Higher Presidential Election Thursday announced a final list of 13 candidates standing for Egypt’s president. They are the following:
 
Amr Moussa: A 74-year-old career diplomat, who served as foreign minister under Mubarak and became in late 1990s an Arab League chief for 10 years. He supports the creation of a civil state in Egypt and promotes himself as an experienced statesman. He stands as an independent.

Abdul Monaim Abu Al Fotouh: A 61-year-old medical physician, who was a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood until last year when the group expelled him for deciding to run for president in violation of its ban. He is the head of the Arab Medical Union and projects himself as a moderate Islamist and a revolutionary. He stands as an independent.

Mohammad Morsi: A 61-year- old head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, fielded by the group to replace its disqualified contender Khairat Al Shater. Morsi, a professor of engineering, projects himself as a moderate Islamist. But he is regarded as lacking Al Shater’s popularity and political and business shrewdness.

Hamdeen Sabahi: A 58-year-old leftist, who started political activism as a university student in the 1970s. He is a staunch follower of Egypt’s late populist president Jamal Abdul Nasser. Sabhi projects himself as an anti-Israel revolutionary, an advocate of pan-Arabism and a supporter of the poor. He runs as an independent.

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Hisham Al Bastawisi: A 61-year-old judge, fielded by the leftist Tagammu Party. He is known for his outspoken criticism of corruption and election fraud in the final years of Mubarak’s rule.

Ahmad Shafiq: A 70-year-old ex-army general who was appointed as premier in the final days of Mubarak’s rule. Shafiq presents himself as an experienced statesman based on his successful years as minister of civil aviation before becoming prime minister. However, revolutionary powers denounce him as a holdover from the Mubarak era. He runs as an independent.

Mohammad Salim Al Awwa: A 70-year-old Islamist lawyer and intellectual. He portrays himself as a moderate Islamist despite the controversy he has sparred in recent years by opinions on Coptic issues. He has been endorsed by 30 MPs to run for president.

Khalid Ali: A 40-year-old lawyer and a human rights activist who has gained popularity among workers for a legal drive against dubious privatization deals under Mubarak. Ali advocates social justice and a bigger role for state institutions. His presidential bid has been endorsed by 32 MPs.

Abu Al Ezz Al Hariri: A 66-year-old leftist, who has been an opposition lawmaker for many years. A member of the current parliament, he advocates social justice and fight against corruption. As a presidential candidate, he has been nominated by the nascent Popular Socialist Coalition Party.

Abdullah Al Ashaal: A 67-year-old former diplomat, fielded by Al Asala, an ultra-conservative Salafist party. He holds a doctorate in international law and is a regular guest on TV political shows. Initially, he had announced running for president as an independent, but later said he opted out in favour of the Muslim Brotherhood candid date Khairat Al Shater. After Al Shater’s disqualification, Al Ashaal registered as a presidential contender representing Al Asala Party.

Hossam Khairallah: Fielded by the nascent Democratic Peace Party, Khairallah, 67, is an ex-intelligence officer. As a presidential contender, he promotes an image of a military strategist.

Mohammad Fawzi Eissa: A 68-year-old former policeman with a Ph D in law. He runs as a candidate for the recently established Generation Democratic Party. He is not known to have a grassroots base.

Mahmoud Hossam: A 48-year-old former policeman with no known political profile or strong popularity. He stands as an independent.