Presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq severely criticized protesters who demand a retrial of former President Hosni Mubarak.
Shafiq, who served as civil aviation minister and briefly as prime minister under Mubarak, said during an interview on privately owned Al-Hayat 2 satellite channel Tuesday that protesters should not use the “revolution continues" slogan to express demands for freedom, justice and better living standards.
He said the revolution erupted “to achieve a main goal and then ended,” referring to Mubarak's resignation last year.
“Revolutions don’t continue, because they break out to achieve a real accomplishment and then the impacts continue,” Shafiq said, remarking that ongoing unrest prevents people from earning a living.
Shafiq also described protester demands of bringing Mubarak, his sons and other former officials to a retrial as "childish."
Mubarak and his former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly received life sentences Saturday for complicity in protester deaths during the revolution. Nine other defendants facing various charges were acquitted.
“Whoever voices such demands doesn’t know how the ruling was issued or the evidence the judge used,” Shafiq said, addressing those who expect harsh penalties for former regime figures. “Why did people have high expectations on the trial of Mubarak and his officials?”
He also said demonstrators in Tahrir are "wasting their time" pushing for the formation of a presidential council and demanding former regime officials be stripped of their political rights.
On Monday, Shafiq made controversial statements to CBC TV channel accusing Islamists of killing demonstrators during the revolution. Several Islamic figures have announced they plan to sue Shafiq for his comments.
Shafiq and the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsy are facing off for Egypt's top post in the presidential runoff on 16 and 17 June.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
