Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Nominating Back-Up Presidential Candidate

(The Blaze/AP) — Egypt’s most powerful political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, announced Saturday it is nominating the head of its party as a back-up candidate for president in the face of attempts to disqualify their primary nominee.

The decision to put forth a second candidate was spurred by fears that the ruling military council may use Egypt’s election committee to disqualify Islamist presidential hopefuls in order to make room for former regime officials to win.

The upcoming election, slated for the end of May, is the first presidential vote since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak after nearly 30 years in power. It is a crucial election for both the military and the Brotherhood, which are already sparring for power. The military wants to keep control of key security and economic portfolios until at least June, when a new president is announced, while the Brotherhood is pushing to name a new government first.

In a statement released late Saturday, the Brotherhood said they are putting forth party leader Mohammed Morsi as an alternate to Khairat el-Shater, the group’s chief strategist and financier.

Egypts Muslim Brotherhood Nominating Back Up Presidential Candidate

Mohammed Morsi (Photo: AP)

Any candidates have just one day before the deadline for submitting applications to run for president. They will have to get the backing of 30 lawmakers or 30,000 signatures by Sunday evening.

The Brotherhood, which emerged from last year’s uprising as the most powerful party in Egypt when it won nearly half the seats in parliament, said in its statement that there appear to be efforts by Egypt’s election committee to disqualify certain candidates from the race.

“There are attempts to create barriers for some candidates,” the Brotherhood said, adding that there are those who want the former regime to return to power.

Others who have expressed interest in running for president are Mubarak’s ex-deputy and longtime spy chief Omar Suleiman, his ex-prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, and his ex-foreign minister and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa.

“Because we are protecting the success of the revolution and all of its goals … we have decided as the Brotherhood and its party to nominate Mohammed Morsi as our back up candidate for president,” the statement said.

Egypts Muslim Brotherhood Nominating Back Up Presidential Candidate

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, left, congratulates Mohammed Morsi on the Muslim Brotherhood's success in the parliamentary elections (AP)

El-Shater was released from prison last month after serving five years on charges relating to his membership in the then-outlawed Brotherhood under Mubarak.

Egypt’s last four presidents have hailed from within the top ranks of the military. An Islamist candidate would erode decades of military control and place its ruling generals under civilian oversight.

The Brotherhood said el-Shater faces no legal obstacles to running for president and that this issue was vetted clearly before announcing his candidacy.

The announcement comes just hours after an ultraconservative Islamist group put forward a fundamentalist cleric as its candidate after reports surfaced that ultraconservative hopeful, Hazem Abu Ismail, could be disqualified from running. Egypt’s election commission said Saturday that his mother was a U.S. citizen.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters in a mosque Saturday, Abu Ismail said he has proof his mother was not a U.S. citizen and called the allegations a “plot” against him.

The Gamaa Islamiya, or Islamic Group, said it selected Safwat Hegazy, a prominent imam who preaches on television and who took part in last year’s protests as a back-up to Abu Ismail.

Last month France barred Hegazy from entering the country for an Islamic conference along with a number of other high-profile Muslim clerics on the grounds that they “call for hatred and violence.”

Gamaa Islamiya leader Abdel-Akher Hamad there is concern that the ruling military council, which took power after Mubarak’s ouster, may even go after independent candidate Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, a reformist among Islamists.

“It is clear that there is some kind of agreement between the military council and the election committee before any Islamists even put forward their name to try and disqualify them one by one,” Hamad said. “We will not wait to be slaughtered to wish we had acted.”

Comments (28)

  • blackyb
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 9:25pm

    I do not believe Barak Obama is like a black American. He is more like Mid-Eastern dark. There is something phoney about him all the way around. He looks nothing like who his father is supposed to be. I see no resemblence of any kind.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • blackyb
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 9:13pm

    Barak Hussein was named, it seems like Mubarak and Saddam to people in the Mid-East. Now that is an interesting name for an American President.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • jackact
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 4:15pm

    Fervid supporter, Hussein Obama, will be readily available after Nov. 2012.
    Please consider his appointment at your earliest convenience.

    Report Post »  
  • sfcpete
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 1:28pm

    All this time I thought the brotherhood was in DC to get their primary candidate – The Obummer.

    Report Post »  
  • canadianproud
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 12:41pm

    If you don’t like how the Blaze runs THEIR business ,start your own, since your so smart.COMPLAIN,COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN. No one is twisting your arm, to click on pop-up.

    Report Post »  
  • zoro51
    Posted on April 8, 2012 at 11:09am

    murdering muslums can hire a leader makes no difference he too will be exterminanted by his OWN people.. muslums care NOT whom they murder save that they MURDER… thier god allah is a false stone idol n prophet mohamudd is dead n STILL IN THE GRAVE!.. let them murder each other.. proves more points that islam is a man made CULT of hate n death…

    Report Post » zoro51  
  • lukerw
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 11:43pm

    Hillary Clinton owns this… and Obama pooped it!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • FloridaFarmGirl
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:52pm

    Gee, this would be a perfect job for Obama. Didn’t you just know the Muslim Brotherhood was going to take Egypt over? Especially after Obama was so excited about it. Oh well, there’s always November 2012 to vote him out!

    Report Post »  
    • blackyb
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 9:16pm

      They probably think somehow world government will have a seat here or something? I am not thinking so. I believe most Americans has had about enough of the “world” to last us a lifetime. I am leaning towards keeping them out and us in.

      Report Post » blackyb  
  • Cymry
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:19pm

    Pravda reports on barry’s ineligibility, the freaking muslim brotherhood holds it‘s candidate to account because he’s NOT ELIGIBLE, the press (i mean “press” in a constitutional sense) in america completely blacks out (no double entendre) barry’s ineligibility. If this is the America you want, then you can freaking have it. I’m waiting for Jesus to return anyway.

    It just sucks that I get to see America go down the tubes because no one in government has the stones to do what is required of them, what they swore an oath to do (defend the consitution against domestic enemies).

    I don‘t think it’s possible to shame the anti-birthers because God has hardened their hearts and numbed their conscience.

    Report Post » Cymry  
    • KangarooJack
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:37pm

      WAtching the 10 Commandments also?

      Pharohs heart was hardened.

      Report Post » KangarooJack  
    • ashestoashes
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:38pm

      Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Nominating Back-Up Presidential Candidate…gee..I wonder if that is for here or Egypt..lol

      Report Post »  
    • blackyb
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 9:22pm

      I believe Obama is ineligible. His actions (and lack of actions where he should act) speak as loud as that possibly photoshopped birth certificate. If our Justice Department has one of his cronies leading it who is going after any of them? The FBI strikes me as being very nervous when they speak on TV. Whatever Barry does, he may try to have it done before the elections if he either does not want to be President or if they cheat enough to get it, right after it. That man is the only President I have ever seen fit to put down like I do. It has nothing to do with his blackness or even his hugh ears. LOL.

      Report Post » blackyb  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:28pm

    Muslin Brotherhood insurance.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:14pm

    Is his name Barak Obama???

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:44pm

      Ron Paul (I don’t see Islam as our enemy) seems to like the Islamic bastiges so much along with Obama… they can have ‘em both eh DOGGY?

      Report Post » TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12  
    • ashestoashes
      Posted on April 7, 2012 at 10:42pm

      @TIME2END Oh yeah Time? And have you heard Santorum or Romney hava plan to eradicate the Islamo/fascists from the key places of our government? Nope? Didn’t think so.. Ron Paul is the only one with a plan to do so and it’s called the “Constituition” Your boys have nothing but financial meltdown and total collapse of our country..thereby insuring the Islamo/fascist reign..

      Report Post »  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 5:38am

      Time to end…time to get back on your meds….

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
      Posted on April 8, 2012 at 8:01am

      ASHES.

      Through his words… Ron Paul props up radical Islam against America.

      Through his words… Ron Paul props up murderous Palestinians against Israel.

      Through his words… Ron Paul props up the fringe both here and across the world.

      Through his words… Ron Paul is Obama lite…

      Report Post » TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12  
  • godhatesacoward
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:04pm

    Yeah! Sweet!

    Report Post » godhatesacoward  
  • AOL_REFUGEE
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 8:04pm

    Darn. I thought they were nominating Barack Obama.

    Report Post » AOL_REFUGEE  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on April 7, 2012 at 7:59pm

    Suprise, suprise, suprise! (Hey Blaze, kill the freakin pop ups about the next story. I will read what I want, in what order I want to. It’s annoying and RUDE! If you want us to stick around on the blog, cut it out!)

    Report Post »  

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