The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood views competing in next month’s parliamentary election the best way to oppose the ruling regime, authorities said.
The Muslim Brotherhood allies with Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei on several key reform issues in the country. The outlawed organization, however, has kept on the sidelines as ElBaradei lobbies for a general boycott of parliamentary elections set for November.
Mohammed Badie, a top official in the Muslim Brotherhood, said his organization would put as many as 150 candidates on the ballot for the 508 seats at stake, The Wall Street Journal reports.
He told the Journal, however, that competing in the political process doesn’t equate to blanket support for the ruling National Democracy Party.
“The negative of participation is that it does give legitimacy to the regime,” he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood is banned from running openly. Its candidates won 20 percent of the seats in parliament in 2005 by running as independents, however.
Brotherhood members added that they couldn’t effectively challenge the NDP without taking an active role in the political process.