CAIRO: Assistant Secretary-General and Secretary of the National Democratic Party's (NDP) Policy Secretariat Gamal Mubarak admitted that the incumbent government has made mistakes while implementing certain policies. "The government has problems and mistakes like any other government, he said, "especially at a time of great transition, which involves difficult issues, there will not be satisfaction on all issues. Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the party's Supreme Policy Council Wednesday, the son of incumbent President Hosni Mubarak also admitted that there were differences of opinion between members of the ruling party and the cabinet that could continue up until the next parliamentary session, adding that this was nothing new. Mubarak was alluding to press reports highlighting tension between various party members and parliamentarians and the party's Secretary of Organization Ahmed Ezz (also owner of Ezz Steel, which is suspected of monopolizing the steel industry in Egypt) over the recent amendments to the anti-monopoly law. Mubarak refused to comment on the matter directly, simply stating that one should look at the comments made to the press, which offered varying viewpoints. "These comments are a result of what we've seen in recent months, Diaa Rashwan from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies told Daily News Egypt, "the differences between Ahmed Ezz and stalwarts such as Zakariya Azmy and Fathi Sorour. Mubarak said that the NDP supports investment and the private sector in all its policies, but denied that it was a party of "businessmen as it is often accused of being, and that if the party had not been successful in creating confidence in the Egyptian economic climate then the country would not be able to face the challenges present on the global level today. "Ezz is not in the pictures at the council meeting. Those pictured alongside Gamal are Safwat Al-Sherif and Mohamed Kamal. It is a defensive strategy by Gamal; he sees there is a loss of trust in the party and he is trying to change the image that they are a party of, not just businessmen, but monopolistic businessmen, said Rashwan. Mubarak added that there were different factions within the NDP as well, but said, "Any political party has factions. What's wrong with that? We used to hear criticism five years ago that there was no dialogue within the party. Rashwan speculated that there is a possibility that Ezz might step down from his post as secretary of organization at the NDP during the next party congress and just focus on his capacity as an MP. "In any case it does look like the role of Ezz within the party might change, Rashwan said.
