Cairo: Egypt’s leading reformer, Mohammad Al Baradei, who was a key catalyst in a revolt that toppled long-standing president Hosni Mubarak, launched on Saturday a political party, which he said is aimed at saving the “revolution from abortion”.

He told hundreds of his supporters, gathering at the Press Syndicate in Cairo, that the Constitution Party would seek to re-unify the Egyptians following a choatic transformation in the post-Mubarak revolt.

“We have probably lost a short battle during the transitional period. But we will certainly win the war,” Al Baradei, a Nobel peace laureate, said.

In January, Al Baradei opted out of a presidential race, citing a lack of genuine democracy on the part of the military who has been ruling Egypt since Mubarak’s removal in February last year.

Thirteen candidates are vying in the presidential polls scheduled for May 23-24.

Al Baradei Saturday criticised the ruling generals for what he called their “irrational and unwise” handling of the transitional period. “The economic and security conditions have declined to levels, which we could not imagine,” he said.

“We are heading to presidential elections without knowing about powers of the new president,” he added, referring to a deadlock over the formation of a panel to be tasked with crafting a constitution for Egypt.

He added that the new party has started contacting other political parties to forge a united front to “save the revolution from intellectual, economic and social decline”.

Al Baradei, 69, is the co-founder of the party that comprises several prominent liberals, including celebrated writer Alaa Al Aswani, Christian activist George Eshaq and revolurtionary Ahmad Harara.

More than 20 political parties, founded by Islamists and politicians deemed loyal to the former president, have been legalised since the revolt that deposed Mubarak. There are currently in Egypt more than 45 parties led by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice that holds nearly half of the new parliament where liberals are a minority.