The Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Mohamed Badei has denied an alleged deal between the Islamic opposition group and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) over Egypt’s political track in the wake of the January 25 Revolution and the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

In the first official interview ever of any of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guides by the state-sponsored Middle East News Agency (MENA) since the news agency was established on 15 December 1955, Badei hailed the significant role played by the Egyptian armed forces, stating that they helped to protect the revolution.

“We cannot let the relationship between the people and the army spoil,” Badei warned.

Badei, commenting on the violence that the army rained on demonstrators early last Saturday on the “The Friday of Cleansing,” as the protesters called it, hoping to cleanse political life and jail corrupt figures, reiterates the fact that the MB Shura Council had issued orders to the demonstrators to leave Tahrir Square by sunset.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups believe that this latest sit-in was organised by counter-revolution elements in order to provoke the army.

“Up until that point [before the curfew] things were orderly, but chaos erupted when remnants of the former regime and disciples of the counter-revolution managed to develop a loophole, similar to the one made by the Israeli enemy during the October War 1973,” said Badei, drawing a parallel between this latest Tahrir sit-in and how the Israelis found an excuse to occupy Sinai.