Their first choice may not be allowed to run, which may have something to do with his previously having been jailed “on charges of terrorism and money laundering.” And remember, he’s the front-runner. Arab Sping Democracy on the March Update: “Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood puts up second candidate,” from AFP, April 8 (thanks to David):
CAIRO “” The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s top political force, announced it was putting up a second presidential candidate for May elections in case its first choice was not allowed to stand.
The candidature of the Islamist group’s number two, Khairat al-Shater, looked to be in doubt. Shater was freed from prison in March 2011 after having been jailed by a military court for seven years on charges of terrorism and money laundering.
The Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party won the most seats in parliamentary elections earlier this year, said it was putting forward party chairman Mohammed Morsi as an “alternative candidate.”
Separately, earlier Saturday, the electoral commission said that Salafist politician Hazem Abu Ismail would probably be disqualified from running because his late mother was a US citizen.
Horror of horrors!