Muslim Brotherhood Presser Wednesday: Coalition, Coordination Possible in Upcoming Elections

Muslim Brotherhood Presser Wednesday: Coalition, Coordination Possible in Upcoming Elections

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau announced it is to launch three public development campaigns in the coming days which will be the group’s main effort commemorating the January 25 revolution.

Dr. Ahmed Arif, Muslim Brotherhood media spokesman, at a news conference held Wednesday evening at the group’s Guidance Bureau, announced that the Brotherhood decided to adopt developmental issues, pointing that all activities involved would be peaceful and open to all, both in the capital Cairo and in provinces across Egypt. He added that such activities will include peaceful demonstrations, and street rallies.

"The purpose of the events sponsored by the group is to raise the morale of the Egyptian people and take the nation out of frustration and despair caused by lamentable conditions that accumulated over a very long time. We invite all Egyptians to actively participate with anything that might help the country move forward.

"On this occasion, we are launching a campaign called ‘Mother Egypt… your children matter’, which includes three main parts, namely: health-care, by distributing to all people coupons or vouchers to use for all branches or specialties of medicine."

Arif added that, "The health-care project is not limited to Brotherhood doctors only. It includes both fixed and mobile medical convoys, so as to achieve a real breakthrough in the health file. It is conducted through civil society, as the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the effective actors of civil society and lead efforts in societal development.

"The second part is a ‘Clean drinking water’ campaign targeting a large number of villages and towns across Egypt. This will be announced soon, and will include installation of huge drinking water purification units. We are suffering slow and rapid deaths at the same time: from contaminated water to tragic railway accidents and fatal collapsing buildings. Egypt’s infrastructure is totally dilapidated."

Arif further added that the Brotherhood seeks to take preventive action, stressing that it is essential to target the laboring classes for help and support, and also all Egyptian people at large, by – for example – installing massive filtering units in villages so that water purification is guaranteed as well as sustainability and permanence of this project.

"The third part is ‘Easing the burden on Egyptian households’, by calling for solidarity and selling goods at wholesale prices. We will announce the names of those participating in this campaign to ease the burden on the Egyptian people, particularly the middle and laboring classes, in coordination with the group’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)".

As for the upcoming elections, the Muslim Brotherhood media spokesman said that the group has two choices: either a coalition or coordination with other parties. He pointed that the Brotherhood has a general vision with specific criteria for deciding who would run on the FJP candidate lists, so members of the party start their parliamentary roles right from the first day.

"I call on all political parties, currents and denominations to repudiate calls for vandalism circulated in various media, as a national duty at this critical stage which needs concerted efforts by everyone. Failing those calls is the responsibility of every citizen.

"We want to raise the slogan ‘A country without violence, thuggery or vandalism’ with everyone keen to protect this homeland, avoid past mistakes, and work in a strategic manner to create a climate suitable for that."