Former PM Shafiq steps down as leader of Egyptian Patriotic Movement

Former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq announced late Saturday night that he had resigned from leading the Egyptian Patriotic Movement, casting further doubts about his political future.

“I had to resign due to the difficult circumstances I had to face while doing my job,” he said on Twitter.

Shafiq’s resignation comes days after news spread that his interview with controversial TV host Abdel Rahim Ali on Al-Asema TV channel [The Capital], which was to be aired last week, was cancelled due to alleged “political pressure”, according to media reports.

A promo was released on Al-Asema’s YouTube channel showing the former presidential candidate harshly criticising the current regime in Egypt.

Nevertheless, officials at the channel denied the media reports, claiming the interview would be aired later.

Since losing the presidential election to Mohamed Morsi in 2012, Ahmed Shafiq has been living in UAE, citing “security reasons.”

Shafiq founded the Egyptian Patriotic Movement in December 2012.

In statement to state news agency MENA, Yahia Kadry, the vice-president of the Movement, announced that its high committee would meet next Monday to discuss the resignation.

In December 2013, Shafiq was acquitted of embezzling public funds when he was head of the Pilots’ Association for Land Development in 1992.

He was accused by the general prosecution of having seized 40,000 square metres of land belonging to fish farms and illegally allocating them to the association, before reselling them to Mubarak’s sons at lower than market prices.

Shafiq, a former air force commander, was the civil aviation minister during the Hosni Mubarak era and was appointed prime minister during the 18-day uprising that brought him down.

source:Ahram online