MB Calls on National Forces to Agree on a United Electoral List and a Presidential Candidate

Dr. Essam Al-Arian, Muslim Brotherhood media spokesman and member of the group’s Executive Bureau called on national forces to agree on a unified electoral list, stressing that the position of the MB will be announced by Dr. Mohammed Badie, Chairman of the MB and the two media spokesmen only.

Al-Arian stressed that the MB will not field a candidate for the presidency and will not compete for the majority in the parliament. They are aiming to select a suitable candidate from those bidding for the presidency and in the absence of conformity they will be through the CVs and elections’ programs of all the candidates who will announce their position.  

He called on national forces to agree with each other in order to construct an independent and free Egypt and to beget a democratic system as well as a new constitution. He called for the prosecution of all members of the former regime’s ruling National Democratic Party on charges of political corruption who participated in forging the results of many parliamentary elections and intimidating and oppressing  citizens.

Al-Arian said that he is optimistic with the peoples’ political maturity after participating in the January 25 revolution, participating in the referendum for the constitutional amendments, cleaning and rebuilding Egypt, and after being given the opportunity; freely creating parties without prejudice.

He urged to counter the parties that reflected a group of businessmen who were corrupt during the era of the former regime, pointing out that it was possible to form parties nationwide explaining that there are opportunities to mobilise the masses through social networking websites.  

Highlighting that the parties cannot function without the consent of the people, Al-Arian called on the people to abandon the previous parties used by the former regime to cause discord between the powers that remained in existence after the revolution. He pointed out that it is left to the people to judge whether they want the parties to remain or to be dismantled.