Former Egyptian Prime Minister: UAE has banned my departure

Ahmed Shafiq, the former Prime Minister of Egypt, accused the authorities of the United Arab Emirates of preventing him from leaving the UAE after announcing his candidacy for the presidential elections in Egypt in 2018. In a video sent to AFP, Ahmed Shafiq stated: "I was very surprised that I am not allowed to leave the brotherly country of the UAE; the reasons for such an action are not clear to me." The former Prime Minister of Egypt added: "I wanted to meet with my fellow Egyptians in other countries before returning to my country in the coming days." AFP reports that Shafiq's candidacy announcement is seen as a challenge to the current President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in the 2018 presidential elections. In the video, Ahmed Shafiq, while thanking the UAE for its hospitality, stated: "This is interference in our internal affairs, and I reject this action." The former Prime Minister of Egypt promised that this action by the UAE authorities would not prevent his candidacy in next year's presidential elections in Egypt. Egypt and the UAE currently have close relations. Ahmed Shafiq competed against Mohamed Morsi in the 2012 presidential elections and lost. In that election, nearly 52% of eligible voters went to the polls, and Mr. Morsi received just over half of the votes. This was while Abdel Fattah el-Sisi overthrew Mohamed Morsi's government in 2013. El-Sisi then defeated his rival Hamdeen Sabahi in the 2014 presidential elections, winning with over 96% of the votes. According to AFP, Ahmed Shafiq has been a critic of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's policies over the past two years.