Egypt's first democratic presidential election

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2022

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In June 2012, Egypt held its first ever free democratic presidential election. Mohamed Morsi, representing the Muslim Brotherhood, emerged victorious. Ben Henderson spoke to Rabab El-Mahdi, Chief Strategist to one of Morsi’s rival candidates. She described what it was like to be involved in the first election of its kind, how Morsi tried to recruit her, and the personal impact of political campaigning in such a polarised country. (Photo of Mohamed Morsi in 2012 by Ed Giles/Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	On the podium season 2 is available now.
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0:11.8	and their incredible journeys to the podium.
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0:17.0	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:25.4	Hello and welcome to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service with me.
0:29.6	Ben Henderson.
0:37.2	It's 10 years since Egypt's first ever free democratic election.
0:41.2	I'm taking you back to June 2012 when Muhammad Morsi was elected to lead the country
0:46.5	representing the freedom and justice party.
0:48.9	The political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist group.
0:52.7	So within family and friends including, you know, my parents and my brother,
0:59.1	I was basically cast out at that time as, you know, why would you
1:06.6	side with this guy who is in Islam?
1:09.6	I was seen as a sellout.
1:12.1	This is Dr. Rabab El Mardi.
1:14.4	She was chief strategist in the presidential campaign of one of Morsi's rival candidates,
1:19.0	Abdul Fattua. Fattua was an Islamist, meaning he wanted to run the country in line with
1:24.3	traditional Islamic values, although he was more moderate than fellow Islamists, Morsi and the
1:29.4	Brotherhood. This first election started off as a bitter campaign.
1:33.6	The Brotherhood, they would spread lies about me saying that I advertised for women taking off
	...

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