Katatni: Freedom and Justice Party Supports Women, Right of Peaceful Demonstration

Katatni: Freedom and Justice Party Supports Women, Right of Peaceful Demonstration

Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Chairman, said that peaceful demonstration expressing popular will is a right guaranteed to all.

"I condemn all acts of violence and attacks on public and private property under the guise of political protest."

At a press conference in Damanhur, Beheira governorate (112 miles north of Cairo), Dr. Katatni added: "We welcome all initiatives to renounce violence and tension. All initiatives are submitted on the table of national dialogue at the Presidency.

There are, however, individuals who seek to impose conditions as bases for negotiation. The FJP rejects this completely.

"The FJP is not against documents or declarations that support women’s rights. On the contrary, the FJP appreciates and stands by women. But it does have reservations on some articles in the United Nations declaration which fail to take our country’s law into consideration. We do support the position of Al-Azhar."

Dr. Katatni further pointed that the FJP respects the provisions of the judiciary and that it seeks to take advantage of elections postponement to work more directly in Egyptian society, adding that it is not in the interest of the FJP that the elections law would be flawed, and that the FJP supports any amendment suggested by the Constitutional Court.

Katatni also explained that the FJP welcomes Nour Party as a political ally in forthcoming parliamentary elections in one set of candidate lists with the FJP or as an elections rival.

On another subject, Katatni added that his visit to Sudan was at the invitation of National Congress Party (NCP), for an exchange of experiences and cooperation in various fields: "We hope this will be a signal for all African parties gathered in Khartoum to open expanded opportunities for cooperation."