Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Mukhtar Ashri, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)’s Legal Committee Chairman, said: "In Shura Council (Egypt’s upper house of parliament), the FJP insisted on empowering women by stipulating they are placed at the top of candidate lists for forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The FJP secured agreement on the subject, for women to be placed in the first half of election lists exceeding four candidates. Also, the FJP strongly rejected suggestions to allow evaders of military service the right to run for parliament, considering that those have no right to be in parliament.

Mukhtar Ashri said, "We rejected the article that would automatically sack any MP if he or she changes partisan affiliation after the elections. There is no such article in any law anywhere in the world.

"It would be unreasonable to deny MPs the right to possibly change their political orientations during the period of a full five-year term at the House of Representatives."

Regarding the High Judicial Elections Committee’s approval of international organizations to observe elections, Ashri confirmed this satisfies demands made by all parties, since it provides for greater transparency, integrity and credibility.