Following its victories in parliamentary elections, the Muslim Brotherhood is inclined to choose its deputy guide, Khairat al-Shater, to head the next coalition government that the group is preparing to form, Brotherhood sources said on Tuesday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said the group’s Freedom and Justice Party is engaged in talks with parties that left the Democratic Alliance — a group it once led — for them to rejoin the alliance. The goal is to constitute a parliamentary majority and form a coalition government.
Shater is one of the most important leaders of the group. The prominent opposition figure and businessman was imprisoned by deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The group and the party tasked Shater last month with preparing a development plan for Egypt. Shater calls his plan “Project Renaissance.”
At conference in Alexandria in April, Shater said: “The Islamic state must return and rule the world.”
The sources said Shater’s nomination must be agreed on by all the political forces that would form the Brotherhood-led government.
"The invitation is addressed to everyone, including parties outside the coalition, to join,” said leading party figure Ahmed Abu Baraka. “The next parliament speaker will be from the Brotherhood, provided all forces agree on him.”
Mohamed Hassan Hamad, secretary of the Jama’a al-Islamiya’s Shura Council, said the council is considering a coalition with the Brotherhood in parliament.
