CAIRO, June 24 (UPI) -- A youth movement inside the Muslim Brotherhood aims to formalize its own independent political party, a leader announced.
Enthusiasm for participation in the evolving political climate in Egypt is reaching a fever pitch as the country prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year.
The Muslim Brotherhood was banned under the regime of Hosni Mubarak, though it secured 20 percent of the parliamentary seats in 2005 by fielding independent candidates. The Brotherhood is organizing its political activity under the newly-sanctioned Freedom and Justice Party in the post-revolution political scene.
Mohammed Affan, a 30-year-old member of the Brotherhood, announced his intention to form the Egyptian Current Party, Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reports. In its manifesto, it doesn't mention Islamic law as a foundation and encourages a larger role for the Egyptian youth.
"We want the party to express the spirit of the revolution, which means we want most of its leaders to be young," he told the newspaper.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which ran recently under the slogan "Islam is the Solution," denied recently it was coming unraveled in the post-Mubarak climate.
The group stripped the membership from Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh after he decided to run for president of Egypt later this year as an independent candidate. His decision violated Brotherhood decisions to not field a candidate for president.
