The leader of Egypt's biggest Islamic group said Saturday its members would not back President Hosni Mubarak in next month's elections, denying reports that the Muslim Brotherhood might strike a deal with Egypt's ruling party. Mohammed Mahdi Akef told The Associated Press it would be "impossible to back Mubarak in the upcoming elections," but he declined to elaborate, saying the group would issue a statement with further details on Sunday. But he confirmed the accuracy of an interview that the pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat ran with him Saturday.Arguing against Mubarak's candidacy in the Sept. 7 elections, Akef told the paper: "It suffices to say that he has stayed at the helm of power for 24 years and did not introduce political reform." The Brotherhood has been banned since 1954 but the government allows it to exist, although it tightens and relaxes its grip on the group as the political climate changes. The group renounced violence in the 1970s, and says it seeks to create an Islamic state through peaceful means.