Egypt commission to investigate election complaints

Commission to reopen inquiry into Mohammed Morsi's presidential victory last year after contender's charges

Ex-Egyptian prime minister and presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq speaks to the media, May 2012. (Khalil Hamra/AP)

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s official news agency says an election commission will look into complaints by presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq alleging irregularities and forgery in last year’s vote, which he narrowly lost.

The Presidential Election Commission made its decision Saturday to reopen investigation into Egypt’s first freely contested presidential election, held last summer, in which Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood scraped in ahead of Shafiq. Shafiq, a Mubarak-era prime minister, is in self-exile in United Arab Emirates. In Egypt he is being tried in absentia on corruption-related charges, which he says are politicized.

Earlier, Shafiq had complained that some ballots were forged, invisible ink was used during voting, and some Christians were prevented from casting ballots. He said the incidents favored Morsi.

The commission had earlier dismissed the same complaints from Shafiq.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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