- MB News
- January 28, 2012
- 4 minutes read
Mahmoud Hussein: We Persist in Tahrir Square to Fulfil Demands, Expedite Presidential Elections Via Proper Procedures
Dr. Mahmoud Hussein, Secretary General of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), said the movement decided to commemorate the first anniversary of the revolution considering that there are demands that have already been fulfilled, although there are some as yet unmet.
During an interview in ‘Al-Haqiqa’ (The Truth) program, on the Egyptian ‘Dream’ satellite channel, Friday evening, Dr. Hussein said that the celebration lasted three days in order to highlight also the revolution’s remaining goals, “And we will not demand handover of power to the People’s Assembly Speaker, because there is a path approved by referendum, i.e. the election of the President of the Republic. However, if everyone agrees to bring forward the presidential election, we have no objection – if there’s commitment to proper procedures”.
Hussein underlined the importance of the elected Egyptian Parliament, and emphasized that no-one can say that the ‘Square’ is above the Parliament. “That would be a kind of arrogance offending to the Egyptian people. More than 30 million citizens took part in the referendum and again in the elections, and those people’s votes must not be wasted.
Further, he stressed that the MB is part and parcel of Tahrir Square as well as other ‘liberty’ squares and sites all over Egypt.
Hussein said, “One of our most important goals, in going out, was to secure the square and prevent violence like that which occurred earlier around the Cabinet buildings and Mohamed Mahmoud Street. And we did secure the Square, and we captured many thugs, including one saboteur who tried to smuggle a gas cylinder to blow up the MB platform and stage”.
With regard to claims that the MB would impede tourism, Hussein denied this, stressing that the group supports the revitalization of tourism in all its forms, “Last week, we took some concrete steps with some tourism companies, to promote tourism”.
Hussein made it clear that the objectives and purposes of tourism cannot be reduced to an alcoholic drink or a bikini swimsuit – especially as the people’s customs and traditions must be respected – but beyond that, there are multiple types of tourism including medical/health, conference/business and archeological tourism.
Hussein pointed out that there was an unfair campaign waged against the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) that likens it to the defunct National Party. He stressed that the party did in Parliament what has never been done anywhere in the whole world. For, despite the MB’s success in securing a majority in Parliament, the FJP was keen from the outset to engage and involve everyone, waiving the party’s majority rights to the posts of People’s Assembly deputies, in addition to granting other parties president and secretary positions in the various parliamentary committees.
For instance, although the Wafd party has members representing less than 10% in parliament, it was given the positions of PA Deputy, Committee president and three Committee deputies, "By contrast, in the 2005 parliament, as MB members we represented 20% of the People’s Assembly, yet we were not allowed to occupy secretariat positions of any of the committees. If some reject the positions offered by the FJP, this is their right. Still, no political party in the whole world gives all other parties a share of Parliamentary Committees, except for the FJP when it shone in this People’s Assembly".