Cairo: Egypt's Islamists, who have made the biggest gains in the first round of the country's parliamentary elections, have denied claims that their expected majority in the new parliament will mean curbs on freedoms and bias against the Christian minority.
"Elections mark the first step in Egypt's transition to democracy and whoever wins at the end of the day will shoulder a heavy responsibility," said Mohammad Mursi, the head of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the influential Muslim Brotherhood.
"Opposition in the parliament will no longer be tame or a decoration. On the contrary, it will be a partner in responsibility," he told Gulf News.
Mursi played down fears that Egypt's new parliament and constitution will be strictly Islamist-orientated. "Egyptians will not be divided as Muslims and Christians when it comes to political or social aspects of life," he added. "The law will have the final say in the civil dealings without any discrimination."
Mursi said that the new constitution, to be drafted after the parliament is formed, would continue to state that Islamic Sharia (law) is the main source of legislation. "This also means that the Coptic Christians will continue to invoke their religious code."
According to him, his group plans to consult with experts to revitalize the national economy, mainly in tourism and banking. "We have a plan to attract 50 million tourists annually to Egypt," he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood had been officially banned and oppressed since 1954 until after a popular revolt deposed long-standing president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Allowed to debut in the current elections through an officially legalized party, the group has secured around 40 per cent of the 168 seats at stake in the first round of the three-stage vote.
Meanwhile, the Salafists (ultra-conservative Islamists) have garnered some 20 per cent of the seats in the first round. The liberals have trailed in the third place with nearly 15 per cent.
The Islamists are, meanwhile, vying as single candidates for 52 seats in a run-off due to be held on Monday. Experts expect that the Islamists will raise their win to around 70 per cent by the end of the first stage of the polls, Egypt's first since Mubarak's toppling.
Their initial big success has raised fears among the country's liberals and Christians—the latter make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's 80 million people. "The Copts will enjoy their full rights only when parties with Islamic terms of reference take power," said Emad Abdul Ghafour, the leader of the Islamist Al-Nour Party.
He accused rivals of deliberately tarnishing the Islamists' image and portraying them as radicals. "We are ready to offer to them (Copts) all guarantees that we do not plan to discriminate among Egyptians on the basis of religion," he added in press remarks.
According to him, preserving national unity is a key priority for his party. "We suffered terribly at the hands of the former (Mubarak) regime. So we cannot make others suffer."
