Member of Parliament (MP) and head of the Salafi Asala Party, Mamdouh Ismail, called on the Muslim Brotherhood to negotiate controversial issues with other political forces in an attempt to reach “realistic” solutions, not maneuvers.

Ismail told Aswat Masriya that the nature of this period requires everyone to rally behind protecting the revolution from returning the former regime, represented in Ahmed Shafiq. He asked the Brotherhood to review their stances and learn from their past mistakes.

He said that the results of the first round of the presidential election were pre-planned by the ruling military council and the dissolved National Democratic party who set off one crisis after the other and destroyed the image of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mamdouh Ismail insisted that if pro-revolution forces fail to reach an agreement, Egyptians will wake up to a nightmare scenario “worse than the British occupation”. He added that such scenario will force everyone to return to Tahrir which may prompt chaos.  

Ismail described calls from political forces for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi to step down in favor of other candidates as “unacceptable political blackmail” insiting that it “violates the law”.

Mursi will be competing against Ahmed Shafiq, former Mubarak premier, in the second round of Egypt’s presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Salafi Nour party announced its support for Mursi yesterday.