CAIRO: “What happened on April 6 and May 4 is nothing but a failed attempt, said Safwat El-Sherif, head of the Shoura Council, speaking to Rose Al-Youssef newspaper.
“They think that the society is unaware or oblivious to facts, El-Sherif said. He, however, considered both strikes an opportunity for the National Democratic Party (NDP) to test its abilities in dealing with new political movements, such as the ones sprouting online on websites like Facebook.
He also warned that some groups that lack empirical existence on the streets may use these innocent young thoughts to create a “hollow existence .
He described the media that takes advantage of this as “adolescent media .
El-Sherif commented on the growing Muslim Brotherhood movement, saying that the more attention the group receives, the more anxious the public becomes.
“The society insists that political forces must remain organized and non-extreme, separating politics from religion, he added.
He said that some of the people promoting the Muslim Brotherhood as a major counterpart for the NDP are serving their own goals, but he clarified that reality is different and even in the electoral circuits that has MPs from the Muslim Brotherhood, there are alternative candidates working with the people firsthand.
El-Sherif criticized the media that exploits political interaction and portrays it as “political battles. He said that what the media portrays does not necessarily represent the majority.
He also talked about the development within the NDP and lauded the most recent elections that resulted in a lot of changes, whereby “young leaders whose ages range from 18-25 and women are involved in the party.
In reference to the debates surrounding the Lawyers’ Syndicate and the draft law, El-Sherif said, “I think political parties should not intervene with professional syndicates, but because syndicates became invaded by political parties, I have no choice but to intervene.
The amendments to the current law focus on the board of elected representatives of the Lawyers’ Syndicate.
“The government performance is different from what it was in 2005, which is seen in the high development rates and the increase in job opportunities, he said.
“A lot of the promises made by the president’s electoral campaign were met by the government on many levels; economically and socially. However, he justifies the government’s most criticized decisions such as price hikes, saying that international conditions put pressure on the government.
He then referred to population growth, saying that it depends on people’s awareness of the issue’s importance. “Every year we are required to give 1.2 million graduates jobs and enroll another million children in schools and this requires a lot of effort from the government, El-Sherif said.
El-Sherif also touched upon issuing licenses to private newspapers, saying that he is not worried because it has been two years since the last license was given to a newspaper, adding that only four or five applicants have met the criteria since then.
“When I increase the number of newspapers, I am spreading moderation and reducing extremism, he said. He also added that “this will only affect the private press but not the local press.
