Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie sharply criticized the liberal movement's demands for postponing parliamentary elections slated for September. He also criticized calls to draft a new constitution immediately. During his weekly message broadcast by the MB's official website on Thursday, Badie said he was against the “self-appointment of a category of people, or the intellectual elite, as the people's guardian until the people are judged to have returned to their senses, and gained full awareness." He pointed out that this mode of thought is characteristic of former President Hosni Mubarak's regime, "based on the misperception that the people are infantile and incapable of understanding their own interests, or that they are incapable of understanding politics." The MB had previously called for supporting constitutional amendments, which more than 77 percent of voters approved during a referendum in March. Meanwhile, several liberal and secular movements rejected the constitutional amendments and called for postponing parliamentary elections out of fear that more organized groups, such as the Brotherhood, would win the majority of seats in Parliament. Badie said "the majority opinion" is "the opinion that must be followed." He urged the movements not to discuss an opinion that "has already passed the stage of debate," and to refrain from "exchanging accusations when there is a difference [in opinion]." Badie called on the political movements "to unite on agreed upon matters and to set aside the points of difference for the time being.” He also called upon all factions to refrain from gathering in Tahrir Square for anything “other than the agreed upon demands.” Translated from the Arabic Edition
