Egypt’s election committee announced yesterday that Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister could run for president after all, only two days after it had disqualified him, stoking confusion before next month’s vote.
Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force chief, had been ruled out under a law passed by the Islamist-led parliament stripping political rights from top Mubarak-era figures.
Mr Shafiq appealed and the committee changed tack, drawing a rebuke from the Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates parliament and championed the law.
A news conference yesterday unveiled the list of 13 contenders.