Shafiq lashes out at the Brotherhood

Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, launched a fierce attack against his Muslim Brotherhood's rival Mohammed Morsi Sunday, accusing him and his party of trying to thwart "the democratic ceremony" Egypt is going through. Shafiq held a press conference Sunday noon, where he accused the Brotherhood of committing "legal and ethical violations" against him before the run-off round planned on June 16-17. "I consider the Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi as a partner rather than a rival, but on the other hand the brotherhood are continuing their defamation campaign against me, in addition to other electoral violation committed by members of their campaign. This includes a case where the people of Helwan caught a Brotherhood representative offering a peddler 200 EGP (33 USD) to vote for their candidate, " Shafiq said. Shafiq added: "The Brotherhood's allegation that I don't have the ability to gain the people's trust in voting is just a cheap trick. I'm a well aware of their organised campaign to ruin my reputation, as well as their desperate ways in attracting the electorate, including offering bribes which is a shameful thing for Egypt at a time when the Egyptians are about to elect a new president". Shafiq was keen to praise the Egyptian judges, military and policemen, at a time the Brotherhood seems to endure serious problems with all three of these groups. He also accused his rivals of exploiting more than 80 percent of Egypt's mosques in their campaign, revealing he has issued a complaint against this to the Supreme Electoral Commission, affirming that the worshipers in several governorates had voiced their rejection to this way of campaigning. Mubarak's last prime minister, continued his attack against the Brotherhood saying: "They insist on increasing tension between the people, and to ruin the image of their competitors as well as imposing threats against the electorate to force them to vote for their candidate. At this moment in time, when we are concerned about finding solutions to people's problems; like the crises of the peasants and the shortage in fuel supplies, the Brotherhood are only concerned in recruiting thugs to threaten the people".