Group warns of face-off with military

Egypt’s leading political movement warned yesterday that ‘‘dangerous confrontations’’ with the governing junta lay ahead, amid fears that the naming of a new president could trigger violence across the country.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which has already claimed victory in last weekend’s presidential election, said an official result announcing that the rival candidate Ahmed Shafik as the winner would amount to a coup. Mahmoud Ghozlan, a spokesman for the Islamist group, said that a proclamation of victory for Shafik would lead to clashes between the people and military, although other party figures later scrambled to tone down his rhetoric.

The electoral commission said the final results of the weekend’s ballot, which had been expected on Thursday, were likely to be delayed pending an investigation into allegations of fraud.

The delay sparked fears that the army was looking for a way to prevent Mohammed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, from taking office.

Shafik’s campaign has lodged 147 complaints, including an accusation that the Muslim Brotherhood premarked 1 million ballots in favour of his opponent. The Muslim Brotherhood’s previously reliable exit poll figures suggested Mursi had won by a margin of 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

It has said it will fill public squares throughout the country with its supporters until the army reinstates the Islamist-led parliament, which was disbanded last week by a court – a decision that was widely viewed as politically motivated.

The Muslim Brotherhood has called for its supporters to gather today in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the crucible of last year’s revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, in a massive show of strength.