Gamal Mubarak attended Sunday his first meeting with members of the ruling National Democratic Party's executive committee following President Mubarak's successful surgery in Germany last month. The meeting brought together National Democratic Party Secretary General Safwat el-Sherif, Assistant Secretary Generals Zakaria Azmi and Mufeed Shehab, party secretary Ahmed Ezz, and spokesperson Ali Eddin Helal, as well as President Hosni Mubarak and his son Gamal, the chairman of the party's powerful Policies Secretariat. El-Sherif said the party's executive committee called for clear answers to issues raised by the media. He added that the party's executive committee rejects all forms of corruption and does not attempt to cover up any corruption or wrongdoings up. El-Sherif added that the party will hold meetings with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and other ministers to discuss the state budget. Discussions will focus on how to control inflation and adjust prices, and the issue of a minimum wage. According to el-Sherif, meetings will take into consideration President Hosni Mubarak's instructions to keep subsidies intact and to avoid imposing any new burdens on the Egyptian citizen, especially in the fields of education and health. El-Sherif applauded the performance of the NDP's human rights committee, saying it has succeeded in raising awareness of human rights. The NDP was the first to call for human rights to be included in the state's public policy, he said. The NDP executive committee agreed to grant NDP secretary generals in Suez, the Red Sea, Beheira, Fayoum, Minya, Daqahliya, Marsa Matrouh and Helwan Governorates membership in the NDP's General Secretariat for the year 2010. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
