E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

Egypt's Brotherhood eyes big political role
[Al Jazeera] Egypt's Moslem Brüderbund says it will contest half of the seats in the country's parliamentary elections in September, revealing plans to become a major force in the country's post-revolution politics.

The group named the leaders of its new Freedom and Justice party at a news conference on Saturday. It had previously promised it would not compete for more than 30 per cent of seats.

"This is not a religious party, not a theocratic party," Mahmoud Mosri, the party's newly named leader, said.
Part the first: Yes, it is.
Part the second: Not yet, anyway. Best to wait until food prices come down before going for full-bore theocracy.
He described the platform of the Freedom and Justice party as civil but with an Islamic background that adheres to the constitution.
And will adhere even more closely to the constitution once the appropriate changes are made. These are the "soft jihad of the law" guys.
Brotherhood leaders said that the political party will be separate and independent from the religious group.

The party's caucus will be open to Mohammedans, Christians and women, according to a Brotherhood politician, Mohammed Saad el-Katatni.

Brotherhood members, however, are barred from joining any other party.

The Moslem Brüderbund is seen as the country's most organised political force after Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
 was deposed as president in February.

The elections will be the first since the popular uprising.

The Moslem Brüderbund remains Egypt's best organised opposition group despite a campaign by Mubarak's government to suppress it.

It successfully fielded candidates in previous parliamentary elections as independents.
Posted by: Fred 2011-05-01
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=321522