The Muslim Brotherhood is considering contesting 49 percent of parliamentary seats in elections this fall, leaders from the group said. Amir Bassam, a Brotherhood spokesman for the Sharqiya Governorate, said the names of the group's parliamentary candidates will be announced within a week. The group has vacillated on how many candidates it would field. Leaders from the group told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the Brotherhood wants to secure 35 percent to 40 percent of parliamentary seats in the elections slated for September. Saad al-Husseini, a member of the group's Guidance Bureau, said the final decision on how many candidates the Brotherhood will back will be made by the group's Shura Council. The council will likely meet within a few days. Mohsen Radi, a former lawmaker and one of the group's leaders, said the Brotherhood will not run for more than 49 percent of parliamentary seats. "We are preparing for a conference for the group's youth in Qalyubia and for another for youth from outside the group to hear their opinions of the Brotherhood," Radi said. The group is coordinating efforts with other political parties and movements to generate a unified list of candidates that will have a wide appeal, Radi said. Translated from the Arabic Edition
