The Construction and Development Party, Jama’a al-Islamiya’s political arm, will not support any presidential hopeful linked to the former regime or Egypt’s current military leaders, the party has said.
Safwat Abdel Ghany, head of the political office for the party, told independent newspaper Youm7 that the party will announce whose bid it will support in the presidential election after the door is closed to nominations.
Candidates with connections to the former regime or the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Force include former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and Advisory Council head Mansour Hassan, he said.
The party stands at an equal distance from all Islamist presidential candidates, he added.
The party met with presidential hopeful Abdallah al-Ashal last week. Abdel Ghany said Ashal, a former assistant foreign minister, has adopted several patriotic stances, adding that the party shares certain ideas with the candidate, who has an Islamist frame of reference.
Abdel Ghany said the party plans to hold similar meetings with other candidates. Presidential hopeful Mohamed Selim al-Awa had asked Jama’a al-Islamiya to support his candidacy.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
