Former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq resigned Saturday from his post as the chairman of the Egyptian National Movement political party, citing “difficult circumstances.”
“My resignation comes in the light of the difficult circumstances I have faced doing my job; I promise at the same time to expand my activities and serve our entire nation,” Shafiq tweeted Saturday.
“I would like to ensure you all, including the party’s deputy chairpersons, board members and every Egyptian who served his country through joining the party, that my resignation resulted from the difficult and unusual circumstances I have face doing my job, which prevented me from offering all my experiences and capabilities to serve our rising party.”
On the other hand, the party’s deputy chairman Yehia Qadri said in statement that the party’s board will hold a meeting Monday to discuss Shafiq’s resignation.
However, board member Osama al-Shahed said in press statements Sunday that initial indicators within the party show that they would “reject Shafiq’s resignation.”
Shafiq is “not only the party’s chairman, as he is an icon for all the party’s members and we will not accept his resignation under any conditions,” the party said in a statement following Shafiq’s resignation.
The former Prime Minister ran for president in May 2012 and lost to former President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in 2013. Shafiq left to United Arab Emirates shortly after his loss. He has not returned to Egypt since then, and even established the Egyptian National Movement Party while away.
Shafiq may be arrested upon arrival to Egypt any time, as he is being investigated over profiteering while serving as a civil aviation minister from 2002 to 2001. His investigations began in November 2012.
In May 2014, Minster of Transitional Justice Ibrahim el-Heneidy announced that he referred Shafiq’s case to the military prosecution.
