Ahmed Shafiq, Egypt\'s first elected president

Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq The Mubarak era-linked candidate, Ahmed Shafiq, has been officially announced as Egypt\'s first elected President, after toppling the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi. Shafiq\'s most powerful winning card was his pledge to restore security in the country in the shortest period possible, as the deteriorating security conditions were the main cause for concern of the Egyptian public, especially in the poorer areas.
Another advantage was his association with the Mubarak regime over decades, which made him a firm  favourite amongst many supporters of the ousted president. His promise to end the perceived state of lawlessness in the country within 30 days from the start of his presidency might have appealed to segments of the public who are willing to ignore his years of service under Mubarak.
Meanwhile, his commitment to Mubarak-era neo-liberal economic policies appeal to businessmen who rally to keep the private sector a driving force in the country.
A former commander of the Egyptian Air Force, diplomat and politician, Ahmed Shafiq was a long-time minister in Mubarak\'s government and was appointed prime minister in the final days of Mubarak’s rule.
Born in 1941 in Cairo, Shafiq graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1961.
Shafiq holds a master’s degree in military sciences and a PhD in military strategy.
He fought in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war as a senior fighter pilot under the command of Mubarak, the commander of the air force at the time, and is said to have downed two Israeli fighter jets.
Shafiq was married, but his wife died a few days before the first round of polling took place. He is the father of three daughters.
Following the 1973 war, Mubarak gradually promoted Shafiq up the military ranks.
He served as the military attaché in the Egyptian embassy in Rome in the 1980s, then as Air Force chief of staff between 1991 and 1996, and as commander of the Egyptian Air Force between 1996 and 2002.
Prior to the revolution, the public was becoming more familiar with Shafiq during his years of tenure as civil aviation minister from 2002 to 2011.
As minister he aimed to transform Egypt Air, the government-owned main airline, into a more competitive, international carrier. He successfully lobbied the World Bank to finance air transport projects in Egypt for the first time, and so gained the funding for a new terminal at Cairo International Airport. He also secured the membership of Egypt Air into the elite Star Alliance international courier constellation in 2008.
Corruption allegations hovered around Shafiq\'s decisions as minister for years, including reports of him selling land surrounding the airport for much less than its value, at LE1 per metre. He has also been accused of giving airport construction contracts to businessmen affiliated with the Mubarak regime by direct order and not through a bidding process, as mandated by Egyptian law.
Shafiq has repeatedly denied corruption allegations and insisted his administrative record was free of violations.
In the last years of the Mubarak era, Shafiq\'s name was  floated as one of Mubarak’s possible successors, alongside Mubarak’s younger son, Gamal, and the former head of intelligence, Omar Suleiman.
Four days after protesters began their historic sit-in in Tahrir Square on January 25, 2011, Mubarak appointed Shafiq prime minister in a last-ditch effort to appease protesters.
Shafiq’s relationship with the protesters quickly soured, however, when he ignored the protesters\' demands that Mubarak resign. Patronisingly, he offered on state TV to send sweets to the protesters, suggesting Tahrir Square should simply become a \"Hyde Park of self-expression.\"
Shafiq was also in charge when armed thugs attacked protesters in Tahrir on February 2. The attackers burst through the crowds of protesters brandishing weapons riding camels and horses,  an event which became known as the Battle of the Camel.
His half-hearted attempts to console the country in the aftermath of the Battle of the Camel – which many blame on the government itself – left him even less popular with revolutionaries.
Following Mubarak’s ouster on February 11, Shafiq became the butt of the jokes of revolutionaries who dubbed him \"Mubarak’s man\" and \"the man in the blue sweater,\" because of his trademark blue jumper.
More seriously, mass protests throughout the month of February increased pressure on the military council, which pushed Mubarak out, to also ditch Shafiq.
Shafiq’s fortunes hit rock bottom after a heated debate with author and activist, Alaa al-Aswani, in a live TV talk show.
While millions watched on TV screens, Aswani grilled the prime minister and questioned his competence and basic knowledge of the day-to-day realities of ordinary Egyptians. Shafiq, looking frazzled and confused, seemingly out of touch.
The following day, the ruling military council replaced Shafiq as prime minister with former minister of transportation, Essam Sharaf.
After keeping a low profile for several months, Shafiq re-entered the public arena when he announced in December 2011 his intention to run for president.
Due to his military background, many charged that Shafiq would become the candidate for Egypt\'s ruling military council, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Despite denying such accusations, Shafiq regularly insinuated on the campaign trail that the ruling military council endorses his candidacy by reminding his audiences that Field Marshall Tantawi is a long-time close friend.