Congratulations for El-Katatny and democracy
Emad Al-Din Hussein
Al-Shorouk newspaper
As a large audience waited on the edge of their seats to know who was the new president of the Freedom and Justice Party, Hussein scrutinises, but also praises, the latest elections of the Islamist group. Watching two of the most prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Essam El-Erian and Saad El-Katatny, facing off in the party’s elections, drove the writer to believe that genuine democracy exists inside the Muslim Brother’s political wing. Greeting El-Katatny after his defeat, Hussein admires El-Erian’s civil reaction as soon as the results were announced. Seemingly enough, being a strong opponent to the judiciary, media and leftist political powers helps a Muslim Brotherhood member to shine among his fellows, according to Hussein.
Despite apparently transparent presidential elections held on Friday, the columnist is convinced that the general bureau guide opted for a calm and grounded character like El-Katatny to lead the FJP’s ship in the coming phase, especially after El-Erian’s latest nervous statements to the media. After witnessing the elections, the writer drove to Tahrir Square for the protests held against the Muslim Brotherhood. Slogans were chanted there against the skyrocketing price of gas pumps. Hussein thinks that probably Morsy and his group should be more concerned with the deteriorating economy currently hitting the country rather than FJP’s internal elections.
Tahrir and the Muslim Brotherhood’s conference
Amr Al-Shobaki
Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper
It might be a coincidence that both elections of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and mass protests named ‘Egypt for all Egyptians’ were held on the same day, writes Al-Shobaki. Demonstrations in Tahrir, which attracted hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, meant to affirm that Egypt is not the Muslim Brotherhood’s prey. The Muslim Brotherhood protests organised on 12 October did not pass lightly by the leftist forces. Scanning the diversity of political powers which participated in the protests on Friday, the writer seems persuaded that leftist and liberal forces are competent enough to gather and unite against Islamist groups.
On the other side, the FJP’s well-organised general conference, in Al-Shobaki’s opinion, is an indicative of the party’s increasing importance in the Egyptian political scene. The writer believes that the latest elections to pick a new president have proven the significance of the Muslim Brotherhood. The event denotes that the party and its members have exceeded the false expectations of being an Islamist group that trades with religion and bribes voters with oil and sugar. The writer finally praises the Muslim Brotherhood for their capability to emerge as one the most powerful political forces in the realm having two senior figures appearing in competition, not division.
Challenges await the Freedom and Justice Party
Emad Al-Din Adeeb
Al-Watan newspaper
In his column, Adeeb lists a number of pieces of advice to the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) after Saad El-Katatny was named its new president. As a starting point to his piece, the writer raves about the courteous reaction of Essam El-Erian upon the announcement of the results. The party should sketch a clear methodology on its relation with other liberal and leftist parties, especially the newly established bodies like Al-Dostour, the Public Coalition and the Strong Egypt parties. Fortifying good connections with parties as such will allow more opportunity for mutual understandings and conflict prevention.
The writer seems ambitious enough to call upon the party to publicly announce precise borderlines between its internal policy as a political party and its relation to the Muslim Brotherhood as an Islamist group. Adeeb also wishes to watch the FJP separating its official opinion and the viewpoint of its executive board. In almost all important issues, the party should announce its position towards the presidency and the government, the writer suggests. Finally, the FJP, according to Adeeb, should work in harmony with one person driving its vehicle instead of reckless cruising in a stiff road fogged with an unstable political climate.
