Columnists were collectively shaking their heads at former prime minister Ahmed Shafik’s presidential nomination announcement, which Al Masry Al Youm’s Hamdy Rizk said is detrimental to Egypt. A Tunisian writer described Shafik claiming he was a prisoner in Abu Dhabi as a betrayal of Egypt and the UAE. Hamdy Kassem calls for everyone to put their personal feelings about Shafik and his campaign aside and only judge him (and other candidates) based on his presidential platform. Meanwhile, El Watan’s Mahmoud Khalil says the Shafik saga highlighted the large portion of Egyptians who have grown politically apathetic again.

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