Egypt's Islamist party backs down from demand to form government
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/egypts-islamist-party-backs-down-from.html
CAIRO — The Muslim Brotherhood’s powerful political wing has backed down from demands that Egypt’s new parliament should have the right to quickly replace the military-appointed government.
The secretary general of the Freedom and Justice Party, which is poised to win by far the most seats of any party in the lower house of the next parliament, said that the party wants to avoid conflict when the legislature is seated Jan. 23 and get through the transitional phase without angering the country’s military rulers.
His comments, made in an interview with The Washington Post, are likely to further enrage activists who accuse the Brotherhood of tacitly allying with the military rulers and betraying fellow revolutionaries for its own political interests.
“Under normal circumstances, a government supported by the parliamentary majority should be formed after parliament is seated,” Mohamed Saad Katatny said. “It’s no longer our priority.”
He said that all political forces agreed with the military council in one of their meetings that the government of Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri “will be staying in office until presidential elections.”
In November, the Egyptian military announced that it would hand over power to an elected president no later than the end of June, after a week-long crackdown on anti-military-council demonstrators that left at least 42 dead and scores wounded.
Originally, the Freedom and Justice Party demanded the right to appoint a new prime minister when parliament formed, putting it on a collision course with the military rulers.
But Katatny said in the interview Sunday, “Right now, we are going through a sensitive transitional phase that necessitates the cooperation of parliament and the military council and the current government. There must be understanding, without clashes or disagreements, in order for the transitional phase to go by in the smoothest manner possible. It is very important for us to seek this.”
The parliament’s powers are still unclear and will be established in the yet-to-be-written constitution. But whatever alliance the Islamist party forms will probably set the agenda for the legislature, which will appoint an assembly to write the constitution.
The military rulers have made clear that they would like to influence the process, something the Freedom and Justice Party has so far rejected.
“As soon as parliament is formed, full legislative authority will be transferred from the military council to the elected representatives,” Katatny said.
Katatny’s latest statements will probably further enrage activists from other groups already angry with the Brotherhood for what they say is the organization’s failure to condemn the military’s human rights abuses. Those activists are calling for complete transfer of executive and legislative power from the military council to the elected parliament.
Katatny dismissed the accusations during the interview and argued that continued protests with no clear goals are ineffective and lead to chaos.“When we feel that the protest will turn into chaos, we stay away because we want sensible demands and stability, and all the times we did not go out and did not participate turned to chaos and destruction, but the times we participated always ended strongly and peacefully," he said.
The secretary general of the Freedom and Justice Party, which is poised to win by far the most seats of any party in the lower house of the next parliament, said that the party wants to avoid conflict when the legislature is seated Jan. 23 and get through the transitional phase without angering the country’s military rulers.
His comments, made in an interview with The Washington Post, are likely to further enrage activists who accuse the Brotherhood of tacitly allying with the military rulers and betraying fellow revolutionaries for its own political interests.
“Under normal circumstances, a government supported by the parliamentary majority should be formed after parliament is seated,” Mohamed Saad Katatny said. “It’s no longer our priority.”
He said that all political forces agreed with the military council in one of their meetings that the government of Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri “will be staying in office until presidential elections.”
In November, the Egyptian military announced that it would hand over power to an elected president no later than the end of June, after a week-long crackdown on anti-military-council demonstrators that left at least 42 dead and scores wounded.
Originally, the Freedom and Justice Party demanded the right to appoint a new prime minister when parliament formed, putting it on a collision course with the military rulers.
But Katatny said in the interview Sunday, “Right now, we are going through a sensitive transitional phase that necessitates the cooperation of parliament and the military council and the current government. There must be understanding, without clashes or disagreements, in order for the transitional phase to go by in the smoothest manner possible. It is very important for us to seek this.”
The parliament’s powers are still unclear and will be established in the yet-to-be-written constitution. But whatever alliance the Islamist party forms will probably set the agenda for the legislature, which will appoint an assembly to write the constitution.
The military rulers have made clear that they would like to influence the process, something the Freedom and Justice Party has so far rejected.
“As soon as parliament is formed, full legislative authority will be transferred from the military council to the elected representatives,” Katatny said.
Katatny’s latest statements will probably further enrage activists from other groups already angry with the Brotherhood for what they say is the organization’s failure to condemn the military’s human rights abuses. Those activists are calling for complete transfer of executive and legislative power from the military council to the elected parliament.
Katatny dismissed the accusations during the interview and argued that continued protests with no clear goals are ineffective and lead to chaos.“When we feel that the protest will turn into chaos, we stay away because we want sensible demands and stability, and all the times we did not go out and did not participate turned to chaos and destruction, but the times we participated always ended strongly and peacefully," he said.
