Deputy Prime Minister Ali el-Selmy held a conference to discuss the draft of Egypt's constitution's main principles Tuesday, meeting with several government figures and political party representatives except for prominent Islamist parties. The conference was attended by Minister of Culture Emad Abu Ghazy, Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Minister of State for Local Development Mohamed Atiya, and Minister of Manpower and Immigration Ahmed El Borai. Mohamed Mahsoub, a representative of Wasat Party; Abu el-Ezz el-Hariry, deputy founder of the National Coalition; Mohamed Anwar el-Sadat, deputy founder of the Reform and Development Party, and political activist Israa Abdel Fatah also attended the meeting. There was an obvious absence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Group, who rejected the idea of the conference and refused to attend. Secretary of the al-Nour Party in Alexandria, Bassam el-Zarka, announced his party's opinion about the conference. “We refuse to subvert the people's will, because they are the ones who should choose their representatives and the constitution,” said Zarka. Zarka's statements came during a conference Monday named, “By Islamic Identity and Contemporary Science, we will build Egypt's future.” Zarka listed four conditions for the party and its candidates. Zarka said the candidate must feel people's problems, be able to solve them, honestly exert effort, and acknowledge people's ambitions. He added the candidate must not change after he reaches power. He said the al-Nour Party adheres to these conditions, as shown by the social activities of party members. When asked about the possibility of clashing with the military, Zarka said there is no reason to fight with each other, because we are all Egyptians. When asked about the absence of Coptic Christians on the party's list, he said that the candidates were nominated according to their skills and qualifications. “For that reason you will find youth on the top of the lists and old men at the end of them,” Zarka said. Considering women's role in the elections, he assured that women exceed men in importance, because the women's vote in elections accounts for 60 percent. Spokesman of “al-Daawa al-Salafi” (The Salafi Call), Abdel Moneim el-Shahaat, said Sharia is not only penal law, but a way of life. Shahaat added that the country would develop if values and resources are managed well. He criticized those who want to spread ambiguity in politics, who he considered tyrants, saying they want to deprive people of practicing their political rights and make people anonymous. Arabic here
