Egypt's Brotherhood seeks new candidate

Rumours ave been circulating Egypt concerning  the rejection by 57  members in the high commission of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political face of the Muslim Brotherhood, to name the Deputy General Guide of the movement, Khayrat Al-Shater, as the party's candidate for the presidential elections. Thirteen members accepted his candidacy. According to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk, a source from inside the high comission's session revealed that al-Shater's name was rejected after being forwaded by one of the commission's members. Several attempts were made by the Muslim Brotherhood to convince high profile figures to be supported by the movement in the upcoming presidential elections, including the constitutional scholar, Chancellor Tareq Al-Beshri, the president of the Supreme Council of Judiciary, Chancellor Hossam al-Gheryani, and the Deputy Head of the Appeals Court, Chancellor Ahmed Mekki. The same source revealed that the Brotherhood have conducted a public survey to ascertain the popularity of the main candidates in which Amr Moussa came out top, followed by Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, and Abdelmonem Abulfotouh, respectively. However, this result has raised concerns by the movement of a potential  President who was allied to the former regime, or not agreeing to the "Islamic project". The report continued to say that it is better to support Dr. Abdelmonem Abulfotouh, who they think has more popularity among all the political bodies in Egypt, even among the Liberals and the Salafists. While at the same time, some of the Brotherhood's youth have launched four pages on the social networking site, Facebook, to support the idea of naming Al-Shater as a candidate for the presidential elections. Meanwile, the Brotherhood spokesperson, Dr. Mahmoud Ghozlan, has said that "the Muslim Brotherhood are still discussing which candidate to support in the presidential elections", Ghozlan added in a TV interview with Al-Hayah channel, that the movement does not  have "a secret candidate", while acknowledging that they have invited well-known national figures to run for the position, but that it was "surprised" that they have all refused. Ghozlan stressed that the current candidates don't meet with the Brotherhood's criteria, while admitting that the movement has to support one of them, but he emphasised this candidate "will not be of a military background". When asked if the Muslim Brotherhood are going through an internal crisis due to the support of a large swathe of the movement's youth to Abulfotouh, Ghozlan answered "this is a very minor issue which hs been blown up by the media.".