Egypt’s former spy chief says he won’t 'reinvent’ Mubarak regime

Egypt's former spy chief has insisted that he will not reinvent the old regime as the Muslim Brotherhood warned his bid for the presidency would bring renewed turmoil.

Omar Suleiman, who also served as Hosni Mubarak's vice-president during last year's uprising, will have the behind-the-scenes support of Egypt's ruling generals and the state media's powerful propaganda machine, officials said.

His announcement on Sunday that he will run in the May 23 election has increased fears among liberal activists that the rump of the Mubarak regime, backed by the army, will attempt to regain power.

Suleiman, 75, sought to distance himself from the old regime on Monday, stating that the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down nearly 14 months ago has created a "new reality that cannot be reversed".

He added that the Muslim Brotherhood had "lost a lot of its popularity".

"There has been a change on the Egyptian street. The practices of the Brotherhood and their monopolistic ways and unacceptable pronouncements have contributed to the change in public opinion," he said.

The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for next month's polls, Khairat El-Shater, warned that said Suleiman's candidacy was an attempt "to steal the revolution" and warned it could spark off another round of huge street protests.

"The Egyptians did not make their sacrifices just for Mubarak's vice-president to make a return," he said.

Election observers have warned that the election will be dominated by Islamist and former regime officials.

Moderate Islamist candidate Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh said: "I can say with certainty that the [ruling] military council pushed Omar Suleiman to run. I can't imagine the Egyptian people will elect a figure from the old regime."

Suleiman served as Mubarak's intelligence chief for 18 years and was named as vice-president days before the 18-day uprising led to the fall of the regime.