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EGYPT: Muslim Brotherhood leader hits out at succession prospect

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Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt may have previously said that they don’t oppose the idea of Gamal Mubarak running in the 2011 presidential elections, yet they strongly oppose naming President Hosni Mubarak’s son as the future head of state without any fair and transparent elections.

Since his introduction to the political arena in 2002, most Egyptians were eager to see the Muslim Brotherhood’s reaction to what was seen as a move to bring the 46-year-old closer to succeeding his father.

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Many were surprised to find out that the Islamic group didn’t consider his sudden presence at the ruling National Democratic Party, or NDP, to be an exploitation of power by the president.

But the brotherhood’s attitude toward Gamal Mubarak changed since the leader of the group announced that handing the presidency over to the the younger Mubarak, who heads the NDP’s Policies Committee, without a vote will not be accepted by any Egyptian political party.

‘We never had anything against Gamal Mubarak as a politician who can be a candidate among others in an election,’ said Mohamed Mahdi Akef, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. ‘Nonetheless, having him as general secretary of the Policies Committee changed everything. Under Gamal’s guidance, the committee became responsible for all forms of corruption in Egypt.’

Akef’s statements come as tens of Muslim Brotherhood members – including the group’s leadership office member Abdel-Monem Aboul Fetouh -- are being detained and accused by authorities of leading an organization with international ties.

-- Amro Hassan in Cairo

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