CAIRO: Abdel Hamid El-Ghazaly, political advisor for the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Office, refuted claims by Al-Masry Al-Youm that the group's political platform is designed for Brotherhood chapters all over the Arab World. "The program is for the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Egypt only because every country has its unique political, social and economic factors that will be reflected in its program, El-Ghazaly told Daily News Egypt. "We can't all have the same one, however we all fall under one umbrella which is Islam. The group said it will delay the release of it official program and mandate, the first step towards becoming an officially-recognized political party. "We haven't set a specific date yet, said El Ghazaly, "but we have no reason to rush because we're sure that this unconstitutional political parties committee will not approve it, so we are taking our time to put together a well-rounded program that will include our vision for everything, from politics, culture and society to the economy. The political parties committee at the Shoura Council (the Upper House of Parliament) is responsible for approving parties and regulating their activities. Sabry Arafa, member of the MB's Guidance Office, told independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm on Monday, that "[the group] has other priorities and there are more important issues, but declined to give a date for the program's release. However, expert in political Islam, Diaa Rashwan, from Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, believes that the main reason why the MB is putting off the release date is because they must "resolve internal issues within the group and to reach consensus on certain issues. "The current political situation in Egypt is not suitable for the MB to release its program and apply for becoming an official political party, he continued. Dubbed the biggest opposition bloc in the country, the MB operates outside the legal frame work - banned but tolerated. Yet Brotherhood leadership had previously indicated that the group might not apply to the Shoura Council's committee, saying their application would definitely be rejected. Throughout the past two years, security has been cracking down on the group, leaving many of their members in jail. The crackdown is expected to intensify once the group releases its program. However, El-Ghazaly explains that they are not putting any of these factors into consideration. "We are not afraid at all of the security forces because we are practicing our constitutional right as a party, he said. When asked whether the program will be ready in time for the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2010, El-Ghazaly said, "The program will be the foundation on which our agenda for the elections will be based.
