Muslim Brotherhood leader to run for Egypt presidency

11/05/2011

A leader of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement will run for the post of Egyptian president as an independent candidate, the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper said on Wednesday.

"Abdul Munim Abu al-Futuh has decided to run in the presidential election in response to numerous appeals by his supporters," the newspaper said.

The Brotherhood, which on Tuesday started official procedures for the establishment of its Freedom and Justice political party, said it would not put forward an official candidate for the presidential elections and would not support any independent candidate associated with the movement.

The overthrow of long-time Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak in February led to fears that the Brotherhood would take control of the largely secular state, although the movement, banned under Mubarak, played a low-key role in the protests that overthrew him.

The army generals who took control from President Hosni Mubarak in February have set parliamentary elections in Egypt for September and announced that presidential elections could be held by the end of 2011.

The Freedom and Justice party plans to take part in parliamentary elections and hopes to win around half of the seats.

The movement was founded in 1928 by schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna. It was banned in 1954 but retained a large following.

MOSCOW, May 11 (RIA Novosti)

Source: RIA Novosti.
Link: http://en.rian.ru/world/20110511/163971313.html.