Essam Al-Arian: “Save Egypt and the Revolution”

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Essam al-Arian has called for unity, warning that efforts are being made to bring Egypt’s old regime back to power.

On Friday, he called on other presidential candidates and the Egyptians who supported last year’s revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak to consult on how to “save the nation and the revolution,” the Associated Press reported. 
Warning that Egypt would be in danger if Mubarak-era Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq won the presidential election, al-Arian said that the Brotherhood would reach out to other candidates to defeat him.  Reports say that Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi has already invited other candidates and party leaders for talks on Saturday. 
Morsi is in the lead with 25.3 percent of the ballots, followed by Shafiq with 24.9 percent, based on counts from the country’s polling stations.

Official results from the electoral body are expected to be announced on Tuesday. The two candidates will compete in a run-off election on June 16 and 17. 

About 50 million people were eligible to vote. Electoral commission officials said that turnout was around 43 percent over the two days of voting on Wednesday and Thursday.