The Freedom and Justice Party has decided on its candidate to head the Shura Council, the higher chamber of the Egyptian Parliament, party sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Friday.
In recent days, the sources also said, Muslim Brotherhood leaders and executive officers of the Freedom and Justice Party, the group’s political arm, have met to decide on the groups’ position on whether Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri’s government should remain in office.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a statement during the next parliamentary session on Sunday.
The parliamentary body of the party will hold a meeting on Saturday, the sources said, to finalize their decisions.
Ahmed Diab, Freedom and Justice Party executive officer, confirmed that the meetings took place but refused to disclose the details about what was discussed. Mohamed Morsy, chairman and spokesman for the party, was unavailable for comment.
Other party sources said that Mohamed Toson, a member of the Shura Council, had been named as a candidate for speaker.
Freedom and Justice officials also finalized a bill dictating that the makeup of the constituent assembly, which will write the country’s new constitution. Sources said officials had decided that it should include 40 percent MPs, 30 jurists, and 30 percent experts from outside the parliament.
Toson told Al-Masry Al-Youm that no one from the party had yet notified him of a nomination.
Mohamed Toson is the most likey candidate, but the issue is still in debate, according to Wahid Abdel Meguid, the general coordinator of the Democratic Alliance, which is also under Freedom and Justice leadership. He said it was likely that one of the vice presidents will be from Karama Party and the other will be from Nour Party.
Helmy al-Gazzar, a member of the supreme body of the Brotherhood’s party, "We have no intention to withdraw confidence from Ganzoury as of yet, but if his statements are not applauded by the parliament, any party has the right to withdraw the confidence of the cabinet."
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
