Farid Zahran, a leading member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), has considered that voting for Senior Commander Ahmed Shafiq is a kind of a“punitive or retaliatory action" against the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) due to not keeping their promises. “The MBs told us that everyone from all the political powers would participate but this was not what happened after they had managed to have the majority of seats in the People's Assembly (Lower House)." Zahran added “The MBs also promised not to field their own presidential candidates but they did after all." Zahran said the governorates in which the MB group was the clear winner during the parliamentary elections have drastically changed their minds making Ahmed Shafiq their top winner during the presidential elections. “Voting for the remnants indicates a kind of a retaliatory action." Zahran stressed the importance of accepting the ballot box results, as long as the elections were described with transparency. “All the political powers have to unite in order for making the constitution, forming the government and defining the coming president's powers so that we would not have a new pharaoh ruling with absolute powers." Zahran added that Egyptians have become well aware of the fact that the coming head of state will serve his nation and not vice versa. “Egyptians will never accept a president who come through inheritance or SCAF's choice."
