Conley
04-01-2012, 09:02 AM
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has nominated its deputy chairman, Khairat al-Shatir, as its candidate for the presidential elections in May.
The choice of Mr Shatir, the group's financier, reverses a pledge made earlier by the group's leaders not to contest the election.
It will raise concerns among liberals and the military that the Brotherhood could become too powerful.
Correspondents say its ties with the ruling council have steadily worsened.
There had been much speculation about whether it would opt to field a candidate following the party's legislative election success in November.
The movement's political arm then won around a third of the vote, and nearly half the seats in the first parliamentary election since the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year.
Mahmoud Hussein, the group's deputy leader, said it had decided to field a candidate following "attempts to abort the revolution". Only a few days remain before the close of nominations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17575705
He is a multi-millionaire businessman - sounds like politics in Egypt might not be that different from the U.S. in that respect. :angry: Jailed for over a dozen years and now with a chance for the presidency.
The choice of Mr Shatir, the group's financier, reverses a pledge made earlier by the group's leaders not to contest the election.
It will raise concerns among liberals and the military that the Brotherhood could become too powerful.
Correspondents say its ties with the ruling council have steadily worsened.
There had been much speculation about whether it would opt to field a candidate following the party's legislative election success in November.
The movement's political arm then won around a third of the vote, and nearly half the seats in the first parliamentary election since the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year.
Mahmoud Hussein, the group's deputy leader, said it had decided to field a candidate following "attempts to abort the revolution". Only a few days remain before the close of nominations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17575705
He is a multi-millionaire businessman - sounds like politics in Egypt might not be that different from the U.S. in that respect. :angry: Jailed for over a dozen years and now with a chance for the presidency.