The Freedom and Justice Party, the MB`s political arm, takes a swipe at Egypt’s ruling military over controversial advisory council, but steers away from any head-on confrontation.
The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), taking a defiant stance in its first public fallout with Egypt’s ruling military council (SCAF) following the beginning of the parliamentary elections, has hit out at the newly-established constitutional advisory council.
The FJP, which declined to have representatives on the controversial council, said it would not accept any interference in the work of the People’s Assembly, which is due to elect a constituent assembly to draft the new constitution.
“[The advisory council] is an attempt to sidestep the will of the people,” Mohamed Morsi, head of the FJP which secured an overwhelming win in the first phase of the complicated election process, said during a public conference in Sharqeya governorate.
“That’s why we refused to have members in that council. They [SCAF] are trying to handcuff the new parliament.”
The advisory council, which includes many political figures and several presidential candidates, is tasked with assisting the military junta in several headline-grabbing issues, including the introduction of a new law to guide presidential elections as well as drawing up a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.
The latter part of the advisory council`s assignments has infuriated the FJP, which believes a new parliament should bear sole responsibility for any constitution-related issues.
However, in a soft statement the MB published on its website Ikhwan Online, the FJP insisted it would not be involved in any confrontation with the SCAF.
“Any difference in views should not turn into a confrontation. There should be cooperation between the military council, interim government and elected parliament,” it said.
“The constituent assembly should represent all political forces and all people in order to be able to draft a new constitution that will be unanimously accepted.”
The SCAF insisted on Sunday that it would not exercise any kind of influence on the new parliament, although an earlier statement from its member Mukhtar Mulla suggested otherwise.
The advisory council is due to hold its first meeting later on Sunday.
The fresh saga marks the first dispute between the FJP and the SCAF, who had enjoyed a political honeymoon, since the lower house elections started late last month.
The Muslim Brotherhood was widely criticised by activists and protesters in recent weeks for prioritising winning parliamentary seats over supporting the mass Tahrir demonstrations that broke out against the SCAF in the wake of a deadly police crackdown on protesters in November.
[Developed in Partnership with Ahram Online.]