Egyptian presidential candidates seek Muslim Brothers support

The deputy general guide for the Ikhwan al-Muslimin group (Muslim Brothers) in Egypt, Muhammad Habab, announced that the movement will declare its position concerning the elections by the end of next week.

He added that the two main rivals for the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are the chairman of al-Ghad party, Ayman Nour, and the leader of al-Wafd party, Nu'man Juma, had asked to meet with the Muslim Brothers in order to get their support for their nomination. Habab said he welcomed any candidate "knocking the door of his movement."

The officially banned Muslim Brothers group which the authorities keep a blind eye on its activities, is considered one of the main opposition forces in Egypt. It had gained representation by several representatives at the parliament.

The elections committee announced on Thursday the final name list of presidential candidates. The list included ten candidates all of them are members of political parties with no independent candidates, because no single independent candidate was able to meet the required condition for becoming a candidate of getting support from a minimum of 250 members of the people's council, the Shoura council and the governorates local people's councils.