Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood mulls election in exile amid internal dissent

The acting leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Ibrahim Munir, is reportedly planning elections to the movement's governing body, despite opposition from some Brotherhood members.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

23 April, 2021

Acting Brotherhood leader Ibrahim Munir is reportedly planning internal elections [Twitter]

Egypt’s exiled Muslim Brotherhood movement is planning to hold elections for its governing body, sources from the movement have told the Arabic news website Arabi 21.

The movement has been brutally suppressed in Egypt ever since a 2013 military coup by current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi against Mohammed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected leader, who was a Brotherhood member.

The sources told Arabi 21 that the Islamist movement's acting general guide, Ibrahim Munir, wanted to hold elections to complete the membership of the group's highest supervisory body, the General Shura (Advisory) Council, so that a legal quorum can appoint a new administrative authority for the group.

The sources, on condition of anonymity, told Arabi 21 that Munir hopes that most of the members of the new Shura Council will be under the age of 45. Current Muslim Brotherhood officials will not be eligible to run for new seats on the council.

The sources added that Munir intends to change the composition of various committees in the Shura Council, choosing qualified candidates.

In recent years, Egypt has arrested 53 members of the group’s General Shura council, which was originally composed of 117 members. Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members have been detained in Egypt since 2013, along with secular opponents of the Egyptian government.

Ibrahim Munir is acting as leader because current general guide Mohammed Badie is in prison in Egypt.

Arabi 21 reported that there were differences within the Muslim Brotherhood over Munir's plans, with several current members of the Shura Council rejecting them.

It said that during a meeting of 16 Shura Council members, nine had opposed the election plans while only six were in full or partial agreement with them.

The Brotherhood's administrative body for members living outside Egypt has also rejected Munir's plans for elections, according to Arabi 21.

However, sources say that discussions over Munir's plans are ongoing and meetings over the issue will be held in future.

The Egyptian Brotherhood’s elections abroad were scheduled to take place during November of last year, according to the sources, but were hindered by disagreements within the movement.

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