Mubarak allies arrested in Egypt
March 13, 2011 - 0:0
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Egyptian police have arrested two members of Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic (NDP) Party accused of organizing violence against demonstrators during the uprising that swept him from the presidency.
The two NDP figures, both members of the now dissolved parliament, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in “bloody Wednesday,” the state news agency reported.It was referring to the events of February 2 when Mubarak loyalists mounted on camels and horses charged protesters, triggering a battle that was seen as a crucial moment in the 18-day uprising against the president.
The agency named the two as Abdel Nasser al-Jabari, a member of the lower house of parliament, and Youssef Khattab, a member of the upper chamber.
The camel and horse charge was part of an offensive by Mubarak supporters trying to dislodge protesters from Cairo's Tahrir Square. The protesters defended their position and public disgust at the incident galvanized more opposition to Mubarak.
The public prosecutor has also ordered the arrest of four former senior Interior Ministry officials on suspicion of conspiracy to murder by ordering the killing of protesters.
Constitutional amendments
In another development, the Muslim Brotherhood -- the largest Islamist group in Egypt -- called for the swift implementation of constitutional amendments to restart political life in Egypt and said that the country needs to start functioning again and prevent army rule from dragging on too long.
A month after a popular uprising forced President Hosni Mubarak from office, the Muslim Brotherhood, who can rally support quickly and would benefit from a quick election, said it would take too long to draw up a new constitution that included all parties' desires, so amending the current one was the only way forward.
“Constitutional amendments are the most suitable, not the most ideal solution for this transitional period that cannot drag for too long,” Brotherhood deputy Khairat Shater said in an interview with Reuters.
The Islamist group aims to run for 35-40 percent of the seats in the new parliament in a vote the army scheduled for June, Shater said. The Brotherhood said it would not seek the presidency or a parliamentary majority.
The Islamist group will announce the program for its “Freedom and Justice Party” within two to three weeks and some high profile Christian figures have expressed interest in joining the Islamist party, said Shater in the interview.
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