CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Office said the group will take part in the National Dialogue, headed by former Prime Minister Abdel Aziz Hegazy, but will not take part in the Egypt Conference, organized by the outspoken architect Mamdouh Hamza.
“We will participate in the National Dialogue headed by Abdel Aziz Hegazy who presented us with his vision,” Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Essam El-Erian, told the Middle East News Agency (MENA).
The MB was asked for advice on the selection of the heads of seven committees that will be formed to discuss the ongoing issues, which “made us feel that they really want it to be a cooperative national dialogue,” according to El-Erian, who came to the decision after a meeting with the group’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.
The National Dialogue will include different political parties and movements, as well the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the interim government.
El-Erian said they chose not to take part in the Egypt Conference, which will discuss the upcoming elections in September, adding that it’s too early to discuss these matters now.
The Egypt Conference, scheduled for May 7 under the slogan “The people defend their revolution,” will focus on issues such as the new constitution and a proposal to form a civilian council to rule in conjunctions with the military.
According to its organizers, more than 25,000 people are expected to attend this conference, which will be held at the Cairo International Conference Center.
Earlier this month the interim government held a National Dialogue, in which the Muslim Brotherhood and a number of political parties refused to participate at the time.
"There is no future for the National Dialogue as long as it is unconstructive and not well-planned," said member of the MB’s Guidance Office, Mohamed Gamal Hemshat, in a statement at the time.
Heshmat said the idea of reconciling with figures of the former regime was controversial and “unacceptable unless figures of the former regime and leaders of the…National Democratic Party (NDP)” are put on trial.
