Muslim Brotherhood Decision on Egypt Presidential Race Due

Egyptians are waiting to learn whether the Muslim Brotherhood will try to add the presidency to its position as the nation’s leading parliamentary power. Having secured half of the parliamentary seats in recent elections, Brotherhood leadership was meeting on Tuesday to debate whether to backpedal on its previous demurral and stand a candidate in the upcoming presidential race. If it decides to, it would be difficult to prevent an Islamist sweep of legislature and executive with the nearly assured support of the second largest Islamist party, Al-Nour, the party of the Salafists. Liberals and moderates fear the overwhelming strength of the Islamist bloc will result in a constitution that demands adherence to Islamic law. One remaining obstacle to Islamist rule is the military council, the group that took over following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The interim constitution it set in place allows it to dissolve parliaments.