A former Muslim Brotherhood MP has proposed an initiative for dialogue between the group and the incumbent authorities that ousted it from government last year.
Ali Fatah al-Bab, in an interview with Turkish Anadolu Agency said his initiative is personal and does not represent the Brotherhood or any other party. “I know that might displease many parties, and I might be attacked with several accusations, but I am only eyeing the good of the country,” Fatah al-Bab said.
He explained that his proposed dialogue should be sponsored by a third party and that sureties should be provided for the application of the outcome of talks.
In a message to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, al-Bab said he expects the president to take “an important and necessary step, that is, to bravely announce a dialogue and a showdown that prioritizes the interest of the country and save it from its current circumstances.” He equally called upon the Brotherhood to “accept dialogue and bear their responsibilities for the country’s best.”
Imam Youssef, a leading figure at the Muslim Brotherhood-led National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, said the initiative is no different from past ones. “It is unacceptable by the NASL and represents Fatah al-Bab alone,” Youssef said in press statements, predicting the initiative to fail. “The state won’t respond to any political reconciliation, fearing that Islamists might return to politics through the next parliament elections,” he argued.
“The timing of the initiative is weird, and there are other figures behind it,” said Mohamed Abu Samra, a leading member at the Islamic Party, another part of the NASL. He ruled that the initiative to be made by Fatah al-Bab alone.
Edited translation from Anadolu
