The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy is preparing to start a campaign to support General Sami Anan to run for president during the coming presidential elections, sources from within the Muslim Brotherhood told Youm7.
They would use “Complete you favor for Anan” as a slogan to support the general, in similarity to the slogan used to support General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity, as the Brotherhood has been designated as a terrorist organization. They said that the Brotherhood decided to support Anan because the popularity of Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, president of the Strong Egypt party, had declined.
According to the sources Anan represents a lifeline for the Brotherhood as he is the only mean left that would allow it to return to the political scene. Anan is well known for his strength and power within the U.S. administration and within the Brotherhood, and this may lead to the safe return for the group in politics, the sources claimed.
The group reportedly wanted to select one of three candidates, Sami Anan, Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, and Mohamed Selim al-Awa.
The Brotherhood will provide headquarters to promote Anan’s presidential campaign and launch web pages on social networks, according to the sources.
The sources detailed that there had been interaction during the past couple of days between the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood and the group’s members in Egypt, to assure the support of the international organization for Anan.
Ahmed Ban, expert in Islamic movements, said that the Brotherhood has two candidates only to support; they are either Aboul Fotouh or Anan.
He added that the group would announce that they will boycott the presidential elections, but the group’s leaders will issue instructions to support a specific candidate, the one that serves its interests.
Amr Hashem, political expert, also said the group would support a specific candidate despite announcing their boycott.
According to Rassd, a Facebook page closely affiliated with the Brotherhood, Anan asked to meet a number of Brotherhood leaders, but that they refused.
On Tuesday former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq called upon Anan not to run for president, but to support Sisi instead. However, Khaled al-Adawy, coordinator of a popular campaign in support of Anan’s bid, announced on Wednesday that he agreed together with Anan’s son that the former army leader would run for president.
Anan was deputy chair of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) under former President Hosni Mubarak and during the period Egypt was under military rule after the fall of Mubarak. He retired under former President Mohamed Morsi.
Wikileaks cables, published by The Guardian in February 2011, suggested that Anan was the “favorite general” in the SCAF for both the United States and the Brotherhood.
