BBC Breaking: Muslim Brotherhood backing ElBaradei to negotiate w/ authorities

[Dennis Donovan]

Via Twitter:

@BBCBreaking
BBC Breaking News
Reports from Egypt: the main opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has backed Mohamed ElBaradei to negotiate with authorities #jan25
3 minutes ago

https://twitter.com/#!/BBCBreaking/status/31710059582980096

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. More on this - many opposition groups now behind ElBaradei as a transitional leader

1206 GMT A coalition of opposition groups issue a statement asking Mohamed ElBaradei to form a transitional government. They call on the Nobel Laureate "during this transitional stage, to act in the internal and external affairs of the nation, and to form a temporary government… and to dissolve parliament and draft a new constitution which enables the Egyptian people to freely choose its representatives in parliament and elect a legitimate president." The statement was signed by the 6 April Movement, the We are all Khalid Said Movement, the National Assembly for Change and the 25 January Movement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/9381309.stm

2.26pm: The Muslim Brotherhood has called for a "national salvation government". This is very significant according to our Middle East editor Ian Black.

Sensational political developments in Cairo, with reports that five opposition movements, including the key Muslim Brotherhood, have mandated Mohammed ElBaradei to negotiate over the formation of a temporary "national salvation government."

Osama Ghazlai Harb of the National Democrsatic Front told BBC Arabic that this would be a transitional administration that would oversee the cancellation of the emergency laws and the release of all political prisoners.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which has kept a low profile so far, said it was backing the demand along with other four groups.

It seems unlikely at this stage that the Mubarak government will agree to negotiate with to ElBaradei, but the publication of the demand adds a significant new element to Egypt's rapidly unfolding political crisis.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/jan/30/egypt-protests-live-updates#block-33

Quick summary of opposition groups: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12290167

[originalpckelly]

2. Excellent.

Not in the Mr. Burns sense of the word, but in the early '90s sense of the world.