Abdullah al-Ashal, a losing presidential candidate, has accused Ahmed Shafiq of being the “last card in the hold-all of the former regime" of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak.
According to Freedom and Justice Party's Facebook page Saturday, Ashal said the rise of Shafiq in the first round of the elections is “a mystery.”
Shafiq, who served briefly as Mubarak's last premier, will contest next month's run-off vote for the presidency against the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsy.
He added, “It is unreasonable that people who revolted against Mubarak's corrupt regime work on returning it again, and each one who voted for Shafiq should put in mind that he has a neighbor who lost his son at the hands of this regime."
Ashal, an international law professor and a former diplomat, at one point withdrew from the race in favor of Khairat al-Shater, the Brotherhood candidate who was later disqualified for having an unresolved criminal record. Later, Ashal endorsed Shater's replacement, Morsy.
Ashal said if Shafiq, a former air force commander, reaches power "I will be the first one who takes to Tahrir Square, because he will never win except through fraud and that was bluntly clear when he was returned to the competition upon a sovereign order, hours after he was excluded by the political ban law."
He pointed out that Copts voted for Shafiq because of smear and intimidation campaigns conducted by the former regime against the Islamic movements through media outlets following old policies.
Ashal called on Copts to return to the revolutionary front and remember those of them who were martyrs during the 25 January revolution against Mubarak's regime and its aides, including Shafiq.
Copts make up 10 percent of Egypt 82 million. They are concentrated in greater Cairo, Alexandria and Upper Egypt. Shafiq won 1.5 million votes in Monifya, Daqahilia and Gharbiya, which has very small Christian minorities.
