Shafiq: Judges must supervise Egypt elections

Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq has called on Egypt's judges to rethink their decision to not supervise the run-off vote and asked them to "perform their constitutional duties". Shafiq, a former premier under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, will face Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi in a presidential run-off vote this month. Shafiq described Egypt's judiciary in a press statement as the "real guarantee for the elections' transparency and integrity", saying: "I followed the statement of the head of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, Judge Hossam El Gheriany and the press conference held by Judge Ahmed El Zend, the head of the Judges Club, in protest against the blatant meddling of parliamentarians in judicial affairs", adding that though he supported their choice, he urged them to reconsider their decision in the interest of Egypt. Judge El Zend sharply criticised the parliament in a press conference held at the Judges Club's headquarters in Cairo on Thursday afternoon, announcing that draft laws planned to be issued by parliament are "only going to bring down the judiciary". The press conference comes in the wake of serious criticism by parliament of the Cairo Criminal Court’s sentences in Hosni Mubarak’s trial, which acquitted the Hosni and his sons Alaa and Gamal of corruption charges and former interior minister Habib el-Adly’s top aides from the murder of protesters Saturday. “We will not punish the people of Egypt; the run-offs will be under complete judicial supervision regardless of how offended we are,” El Zend announced, having stated that 4000 judges did not want to supervise the presidential election run-offs.