The Muslim Brotherhood has "no prejudice" against one of its former leaders and current presidential hopeful Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, the movement's spokesperson told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV channel Thursday. Abouel Fotouh, a longtime moderate within the Brotherhood who has gained support among some revolutionaries and young members of the group, was expelled from the group last year after declaring his intention to run for president. “The issue was a decision taken after the revolution not to nominate a Muslim Brotherhood candidate for the presidential election, as we feared an aborting of the revolution using the Brotherhood as a scarecrow, which the former [Mubarak] regime always used to do to distort [the Brotherhood]," said Mahmoud Ghozlan, the Brotherhood's spokesperson. Mohamed Emad Eddin, a leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, threatened on Wednesday to expel young Brotherhood members if they support Abouel Fotouh's candidacy. Ghozlan added that Abouel Fotouh had initially agreed with the decision of the Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau not to field a presidential candidate, and that flouting the decision later on led to his dismissal. The spokesperson stressed that “obedience” is one of the most important principles of the Brotherhood, and that any member who violates that principle should be expelled. He also ruled out the possibility that the FJP would begin to support any candidate prior to consulting with the Brotherhood. The FJP parliamentary bloc coordinates with the group's Guidance Bureau, and there will not be any contradiction between their decisions, said Ghozlan. Ghozlan also denied reports that the group had already decided to support Mansour Hassan, the head the Advisory Council to the ruling military junta, for president, though he also did not rule it out. “The group will support its candidate morally, through telling group members to support that person,” he said. He said the Brotherhood will then consult with other political forces about backing its chosen candidate, and after agreeing will present a consensus candidate to the people. Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
