CAIRO: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is hoping that they will be able to show media and potential voters in the country that they are pushing forward on transparency efforts. On Friday, the group announced it would hold its first public iftar meal – the meal that breaks the sunrise to sunset fast for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan – and then hold public elections. The move is widely being seen as an effort by the group to show that it is committed to democracy and transparency ahead of expected Parliamentary elections in November. The meal, to take place at Cairo's upscale City Stars mall in the Nasr City neighborhood, will be followed with an election of three members to the groups' Guidance Bureau after top officials officially left the group to join the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party. The election will replace Essam al-Erian, a leading spokesperson for the Islamic group, former Secretary-General Saad al-Katatny, who was the group's leading Member of Parliament before it was dissolved following the January uprising, and Mohamed Morsi, the Freedom and Justice Part chairman. Mohamed Hussein, the group's current Secretary-General Mohamed Hussein told reporters that this first “public demonstration of democracy for the group will be held before Egyptian media.” BM
