Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie on Saturday defended the group’s nomination of Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater for president.
During a joint meeting of the group’s Shura Council and its Freedom and Justice Party on Saturday, the members agreed to field Shater for the upcoming presidential election, contrary to its previous decision not to run a candidate.
At a press conference at the group’s headquarters in Moqattam, Badie said Shater resigned from his position as soon as he learned of the decision.
Badie said the decision to nominate Shater was not first proposed to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. “Only the group’s Shura Council and the party’s supreme authority were consulted on the decision. Members of the Shura Council who were opposed to the decision [to nominate a candidate] announced their support after Shater was chosen.”*
Hussein Ibrahim, the FJP’s parliamentary bloc leader, said the group and its sister party decided to field a candidate “out of a feeling of responsibility” and “to achieve the superior interest of the nation,” which he said is more important than staying committed to previous declarations.
Ibrahim said the group contacted several public figures, all of whom declined to run for the presidency, and added that the group is not after political positions.
Meanwhile, Farid Ismail, an MP from FJP, said he expects Shater to officially nominate himself on Sunday.
Kamal al-Helbawy, former spokesperson for the Brotherhood in Europe, resigned from the group on Saturday and urged all members of the group not to be involved in what he termed “corruption.”
In an interview with Dream 2 on Saturday, Helbawy, said, “I announce my resignation from the group because they are fielding a presidential candidate. I hope the youth will not get involved in this hesitation, corruption and confusion within the ranks of the group.”
Several young people from the Brotherhood established an official presidential campaign for Shater on Facebook. The page has attracted more than 35,000 members within hours of its launch. One of the founders of the page is Shater’s son, Saad.
The New York Times cited an anonymous Israeli official as describing the group’s decision to run a candidate for president as “worrying.”
“Obviously this is not good news,” the official told the newspaper. “The Muslim Brotherhood is no friend of Israel’s. They do not wish us well… The big question is how pragmatic they will be once in power. It could go in either direction.”
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
*Correction: This sentence previously stated that members of the SCAF announced their support after Shater was chosen.
