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Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Candidate Says He Is Running to Counter Military Rule
(Washington Post) Leila Fadel - The Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate said Sunday that he entered the race to cement the Islamist group's political ascendancy amid fears that the country's ruling military chiefs could hijack the transition to democratic rule. Khairat al-Shater, a multimillionaire who has been the Brotherhood's chief financier and strategist, said the move followed the military council's refusal to allow the Brotherhood's political party, which dominates Egypt's new parliament, to appoint a new interim cabinet. The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party has almost half of the seats in parliament, but is without any executive authority. Shater distanced himself from a resolution passed in parliament that demanded the revision of the peace treaty with Israel and the ouster of the Israeli ambassador from Egypt. He said all treaties would be respected but are open for revision.