Presidential hopeful Mohamed Morsy projected that he would get 60 percent of the votes, earning a conclusive win in the first round of the election on 23 and 24 May.
Most polls have put independent candidates Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh at the head of the race, with Morsy lagging well behind among the list of 13 hopefuls. However, polls have varied significantly and there is little history to judge the accuracy of such surveys given the restrictions placed on polling under former President Hosni Mubarak.
A runoff is scheduled for June if no candidate takes more than 50 percent in the initial vote next week.
In an attempt to woo voters from outside his Islamist group, Morsy said during an interview on Mehwar satellite channel Tuesday that he is not opposed to building new churches or the establishment of parties that have a Christian frame of reference as long as it conforms to the constitution, according to Egypt Independent’s sister paper, Al-Masry Al-Youm.
“Copts are Egyptians who have the same rights stipulated in the law — most importantly, the freedom of belief and worship. In addition, we are ordered to protect churches like we do mosques,” Al-Masry Al-Youm reported him as saying.
The Brotherhood leader also vowed that hurdles to constructing churches would be removed under his administration.
Morsy said he would resign from the presidency of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party if he wins the election and that the Brotherhood’s supreme guide would not interfere in his responsibilities in leading the country.
“[The supreme guide] will be like remaining Egyptians and the FJP like remaining parties,” he said.
Morsy also said that Khairat al-Shater, the original Brotherhood candidate who was disqualified from the race, is supervising his electoral campaign.
“If Shater had continued in the presidential race, I would have supervised his electoral campaign,” he added.
Regarding foreign policy, Morsy called on Israel to show commitment to its peace treaty with Egypt, adding that amending the agreement would require negotiations.
