By Hussein al-Qabani

CAIRO

Former Egyptian Premier Ahmed Shafiq -- the last prime minister of Egypt’s Mubarak era -- plans to run in presidential elections next year, a leading member of his political party said Wednesday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency by phone, Raouf al-Sayed, deputy head of Shafiq’s National Movement Party, confirmed that Shafiq planned to run in next year’s poll without providing any additional details.

Shafiq, who has lived in Abu Dhabi since losing 2012 presidential elections, has yet to set a date for his return to Egypt, al-Sayed said.

Neither Shafiq nor his party, however, has yet to officially announce his planned run for the presidency.

Shafiq, 76, briefly served as prime minister under autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down in early 2011 following 18 days of popular demonstrations against his regime.

In Egypt’s first-ever free presidential election in 2012, Shafiq lost -- by a narrow margin -- to Mohamed Morsi, a leader of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

After briefly serving as Egypt’s first civilian president, Morsi was ousted in a bloody military coup in mid-2013.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s current president, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi -- who came to power in a 2014 poll following a military coup -- may also contest next year’s scheduled election.

Earlier this month, al-Sisi announced that the upcoming poll would likely be held in March or April of next year.