Majority of Egyptians Faults Brotherhood Fielding its Own Candidate
May 21, 2012

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - As Egypt prepares this week to elect its first president since the 2011 revolution, a new University of Maryland poll finds the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate tied for fourth place. Researchers describe the race as fluid.

The poll confirms the strategic damage inflicted by the Brotherhood's decision to field its own candidate, after saying it would not. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed (71 percent) called the decision a "mistake."

The poll also shows Egyptians approaching the race differently from Parliamentary elections, focusing more on personal trust and the economy over party affiliation.

Those surveyed identified personal trustworthiness as the key factor in selecting a presidential candidate (31 percent). In Parliamentary elections, political party was the biggest driver (24 percent).

Islamist moderate, Abd...