We all know where this is heading.

(Reuters) — The Muslim Brotherhood’s new presidential candidate, pitched into the race after its first choice was disqualified, pledged on Saturday to govern in coalition and to steady Egypt after more than a year of political turmoil.

An aide to Mohamed Mursi said he was committed to all of Egypt’s international obligations, but that he would not not meet with Israeli officials if elected president.

Mursi’s comments came a day after tens of thousands of Egyptians — both Islamists and youth activists — rallied in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to demand that their military rulers stick to a pledge to hand over power by mid-year.

Mursi, age 59 and head of the Brotherhood’s political party, told a news conference he would seek the votes of hard-line Salafis, but promised to be a president for all Egyptians.

Asked about relations with Israel, he said: “Egypt’s next president can’t be like his predecessor, he can’t be a follower who executes policies put to him from outside,” referring to popular criticism of Mubarak as a man who did US bidding.

An aide said Mursi was committed to the Brotherhood’s pledge to uphold international treaties, a reference to the peace deal. But the aide said Mursi would not meet Israeli officials as president, though his foreign minister would.

The quietly spoken engineer is trying to make up ground after Khairat al-Shater, a millionaire businessman and top Brotherhood strategist, was blocked from running because of a conviction handed down in president Hosni Mubarak’s era, when the Islamist group was banned. The leading Salafi candidate, Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, was also barred from running due to his late mother’s US citizenship.

“The word ‘reserve’ is over. . . Now the Brotherhood and [its] Freedom and Justice Party [FJP] has a candidate with a clear program in this election,” Mursi told Reuters, referring to his status as a “backup” candidate behind Shater. “I hope the people will choose me, an Islamist candidate from the FJP and Muslim Brotherhood, and God willing the system will move towards stability and development.”