Ex-Egypt PM Ahmed Shafiq ‘blocked from leaving UAE’

A extinct Egyptian prime minister says he isn’t being allowed to plod away the United Arab Emirates, the country the build he has resided since 2012 after shedding the Egyptian elections to Mohamed Morsi.

The explanation for his roam ban is unknown, Ahmed Shafiq acknowledged in an irregular video statement to Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

« I used to be tremendously surprised to know that I’m steer clear off from leaving the UAE for reasons that I don’t realize and I’m not prepared to sign, » he acknowledged.

Earlier in the day, Shafiq had announced that he intended to speed in the 2018 presidential elections against fresh President Abdel Fateh el-Sisi.

Shafiq, who additionally participated in the 2012 Egyptian elections, acknowledged he desired to plod back to Egypt in the upcoming days.

« I essentially agree with announced my map to speed the upcoming presidential elections and I used to be planning to delivery out a tour among the Egyptian communities dwelling in a foreign country before going back to Egypt in the next few days, » he acknowledged.

In the video message, Shafiq thanked the UAE for web hosting him, but used to be additionally excessive of the roam ban.

« I essentially agree with in total acknowledged my appreciation for the UAE for web hosting me, » he acknowledged.

« On the assorted hand, I reject any intervention in Egypt’s affairs by battling me from collaborating in a constitutional lawful and a holy mission to befriend my country. I name on the UAE leaders to checklist the lifting of any restrictions on my skill to roam. »

After shedding the carefully contested 2012 election to Mohamed Morsi, Shafiq fled to the UAE. He used to be placed on trial in absentia in Egypt and stumbled on guilty of corruption charges.

He used to be later acquitted, clearing his direction for a probably return to Egypt.

Samer Shehata, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, USA, says it is miles unknown if Sisi is in the back of Shafiq’s roam ban.

« It is not clear if Sisi or the Egyptian authorities is in the back of this transfer, » Shehata urged Al Jazeera from Norman, Oklahoma.

He acknowledged Shafiq’s incapacity to plod away the UAE is to the ideal thing about Sisi and additionally advantages the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

« The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are among the staunchest supporters of the scorching Egyptian president, in disclose that they’ve an ardour in Sisi continuing.

« They’re in favour of Sisi staying in vitality and never in seeing [the appearance of] any doable challengers. »

Shafiq used to be prime minister for perfect over a month all during the 2011 Arab Spring riot, which led to the autumn of long-serving leader Hosni Mubarak.

In the 2012 elections that followed Mubarak’s removal, it used to be Shafiq who, even supposing seen as a regime holdover, gained ample reinforce to almost beat Morsi.

Morsi used to be eradicated in 2013 in a coup led by Sisi, then Egypt’s defence minister.

All this time, Shafiq has remained in the UAE.

In the 2018 elections, Shafiq would possibly perhaps perhaps perhaps over again be undoubtedly among the few candidates hectic Sisi. On the assorted hand, Shehata thinks Shafiq has got tiny likelihood of in actuality successful the presidential election.

« The actuality is that the way is engineered in disclose that Sisi will dangle. He’ll dangle one other term subsequent three hundred and sixty five days », Shehata acknowledged.