35 PERCENT NOT ENOUGH?

Before the referendum on consitutional amendments to govern free and fair elections, the Muslim Brotherhood assured the electorate that the Islamist group would only contest 35 percent of parliamentary seats. The ink on voters’ fingers had barely dried, however, before Saad El Hoseiny, a leading member of the Brotherhood, announced on March 22 that the self-imposed 35 percent limit on the seats is still under discussion and might change. El Hoseiny added that the Brotherhood is considering combining forces with other parties on a unified candidates’ list. The newly approved constitutional amendments opens the door for early elections, amid fears that the Brotherhood and the once-ruling NDP are the only two parties organized enough to do well at the ballot box. El Hoseiny’s announcement left people wondering if the Muslim Brotherhood’s stated intention to not field a candidate for the next presidential elections might also be subject to “discussion” after the parliamentary elections’ results are in. A few days after El Hoseiny’s statements, senior member of the Brotherhood Abd El Moneim Aboul Fotouh announced that he is considering running as an independent in the upcoming presidential elections, adding that he would quit his position at the Brotherhood if he runs for the elections. The Brotherhood in turn has confirmed they will not have a presidential candidate.