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Presidential candidates finalized in Egypt

CAIRO, April 26 (UPI) -- An Egyptian elections panel Thursday finalized a list of 13 candidates for president that includes a former member of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's Cabinet.

The Supreme Presidential Elections Committee reinstated Ahmed Shafiq, who served as civil aviation minister for a decade before becoming prime minister in the final three months of Mubarak's reign, Ahram Online reported.

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The 12 other contenders who will be on next month's ballot are independent Islamist candidate Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, socialist candidate Abul-Ezz el-Hariri, Revolutionary Socialist candidate Khaled Ali, Islamist politician Mohamed Selim el-Awa, reformist judge Hisham el-Bastawisi, former intelligence officer Hossam Khairallah, ex-police officer Mohamed Fawzy, Egypt Kanana Party candidate Mahmoud Hossam and former Foreign Ministry official Abdullah el-Ashaal.

Shafiq had appealed an earlier ruling that he was ineligible under a law banning figures associated with the Mubarak regime from participating in politics.

Several other candidates have been excluded, including the Brotherhood's Khairat el-Shater, Salafist preacher Hazem Abu-Ismail, former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Ghad al-Thawra Party leader Ayman Nour and lawyer Mortada Mansour.

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Egypt's presidential campaign starts Monday with the election taking place May 23-24. If no candidate gains a majority of the votes, a runoff will be held June 1-17. A new president will be named June 21, setting the stage for the country's military to formally hand over its executive powers.

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