Amr Moussa, who came fifth in the first round of Egypt's presidential election, has been named honorary president for life of the liberal Wafd Party.

Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed Al-Badawi made the announcement Wednesday after the decision was made by the party's governing body Tuesday.

A source inside the party said the move came as a consolation for Moussa after he had accused the party – which officially backed him for president – of not supporting him enough during the  campaign in which he secured a disappointing 10.9 per cent of the vote.

Moussa, former Egyptian foreign minister and Arab League secretary general, said Monday he would support neither of Egypt’s presidential finalists – Mubarak-era premier Ahmed Shafiq and Muslim Brotherhood candidate Muhammad Morsi – voicing his rejection of both a “religious state” and a state “run by remnants of the former regime.”

Moussa has strong family links with the Wafd Party and his father was a senior leader.