Disqualified Salafi (ultraconservative) presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, said that, if offered, he will turn down the post of vice-president to Egypt's next president, regardless of whom gets to power.

Local polls will be conducted on May 23-24, and a civilian administration is scheduled to take over by the end of June.

Abu Ismail described the nomination of former Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq as an attempt to "return the toppled regime". He added that if any of the two candidates wins, through transparent elections, "I will turn to the people, and tell them they deserve the harm that their children faced one day".

He explained that both candidates were silent to the corruption, detentions, torture and election rigging of the former regime, as they occupied posts from one government to the next, and "never stepped down, until promoted by Mubarak".

Abu Ismail insisted that he does not intend to run in the next round of elections in four years, explaining that his nomination in this election was a "necessity", reported Al-Masry Al-Youm.  

The disqualified candidate added that the Muslim Brotherhood needs serious reviewing in order to qualify for presidency and expressed disappointment in the performance of the Islamist-led parliament.

He argued that his suspension from the race was a result of his growing popularity which intimidated the United States.

Abu Ismail was disqualified when the Presidential Elections committee confirmed that his late mother held US citizenship, which is against the elections law. He denied the allegation, describing it as a "US-Israel conspiracy".