Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie met Tuesday with members of the National Assembly for Change (NAC), founded by potential presidential contender Mohamed ElBaradei, to discuss both recent political developments and actions to be taken in the coming period. During the meeting, the two sides agreed on the importance of maintaining the NAC's solidarity and continuing to collect signatures for its seven-pronged manifesto for change. They also agreed on the importance of conferences to raise public awareness in addition to a committment to continue pressuring the government. NAC spokesman Hassan Nafaa told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the two parties discussed various stances toward the upcoming parliamentary elections, particularly given that the Wafd Party had agreed to run in the elections while the Muslim Brotherhood position is still uncertain. Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood's European spokesman and former chairman Kamal al-Helbawy called on the Brotherhood to boycott the upcoming elections. Al-Helbawy told Al-Masry Al-Youm that "the Muslim Brotherhood needs to convince the various political parties to boycott these elections and to stand behind ElBaradei in his call for a boycott as a prelude to civil disobedience." He went on to say that any participation in the elections by the Muslim Brotherhood or other political parties will only serve to add to the legitimization of the current regime. Brotherhood spokesman Essam al-Eryan said the Brotherhood values the opinion of its overseas members but "cannot compel any political party to take any particular action, whether to boycott or run in the elections, as it respects the judgment of all parties involved." Al-Eryan added that the idea of a boycott will be taken into consideration before any final decisions are made. Translated from the Arabic Edition
