The Presidential Elections Commission on Tuesday decided to exclude Ahmed Shafiq from the list of candidates running in the presidential election scheduled for 23 and 24 May.
The commission based its decision on the newly-issued political isolation law, which applies to Shafiq, as he served as prime minister in Mubarak’s regime.
The law withdraws political rights from all those who have for ten years prior to 11 February 2011, the day Mubarak stepped down, assumed the post of president, vice president, prime minister, president or secretary general of the dissolved National Democratic Party, or member of the party’s general or policies secretariats.
The campaign supporting Shafiq has rejected the political isolation law that was ratified by the military council on Monday, calling it a “shame” and a “constitutional crime.” They accused the parliamentary majority of coming up with “tailor-made” laws to exclude certain candidates from the presidential race.
In a statement on Tuesday, the campaign confirmed the legal eligibility of Shafiq, and said the law judges individuals for who they are and not for their deeds, adding that Shafiq would resort to the courts in the case he is excluded from the election, and that he is continuing to run in the election for the sake of Egypt and the Egyptians.
It also said Shafiq will abide by the rules of the Presidential Elections Commission, but will retain his legal rights.
The statement added that Parliament interferes in the election by issuing biased laws, whereas legislation should achieve the public interest.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
