The close-door meeting held by five parties, the Muslim Brotherhood [MB], the Kefaya movement and some bloggers on Sunday sparked divergent reactions, while tension was evident among the State's official security organs. Informed sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that yesterday morning important state officials started contacting some leaders of the parties which took part in the meeting. They informed them that the state was angry at the meeting, its agenda and, above all, the MB's participation. Few hours after these contacts, these party leaders disavowed the meeting. Some of them issued official statements saying that they had not taken part in the meeting and that only some of their members had without formally representing the party. Al-Tagammu Party quickly issued a statement saying: "The party was not invited to the meeting and the member who participated did not represent the party. Al-Tagammu also reiterates its commitment to working with all parties." Al-Tagammu's Secretary General Saad Abdel Aam said the party's official statement had been issued to reproach Democratic Front's President Osama el-Ghazali. He said although el-Ghazali is a partner of al-Tagammu party in the National Coalition, he did not invite the Tagammu itself but only his colleagues in his personal capacities. Kefaya's Secretary General Abdel Halim Qandil denied any member of the movement had participated – in a reference to Kefaya's former general coordinator George Isaac. "Kefaya is not going to hold any dialogue with the parties. Everyone knows its ideas and moves and those who said it took part in the meeting just wanted to tarnish its reputation". George Isaac, for his part, stressed that he had taken part in the meeting in his personal capacity and that everyone could have participated. Dr. Amr el-Shoubki, expert at al-Ahram Center for Political Studies, commented on the political forces' quick denial. He said Egypt's parties are afraid of having meetings with and talking to the new forces. "The legal opposition is always under strong pressure not to hold meetings with mass illegal forces" he added.
