AFP - The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the most influential movement oppositon, have created their own party Saturday, with the ambition to contest half the seats in parliamentary elections scheduled for September, the first since the fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak .
The new party, dubbed the "Party of Freedom and Justice", has denied having an orientation "theocratic" and said he would be "independent" of the Brotherhood, whose pronouncements are often the distrust of the population.
The Advisory Board of the movement decided to launch the party and adopted at the same time its political program, said at a news conference Mohammed Hussein, Secretary General of the brotherhood born there over 80 years.
The party, headed by a politburo member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed al-Mursi, will coordinate its positions with the Brotherhood while remaining an independent body.
"It will be a civil party and not theocratic," repeated Mr. Mursi. The Egyptian constitution bans parties based on religion.
According to Dr. Mursi, the Party for Freedom and justice will run for between 45 and 50% of seats in parliamentary elections in September, the first poll since Mr.Mubarak has stepped down under pressure from the streets Feb. 11.
The army, which Mr.Mubarak handed over the reins of the country to his departure, announced in late March it would give legislative power to the future parliament elected in September, then the executive power at the head of state chosen by ballot at the end of the year .
The ambitions of the new party should raise the dismay of other political parties who have engaged in rebellion against the old regime and who may fear being marginalized if they do not present a united front.
"This announcement is depressing to political forces in the country," he told AFP Rashawan Dia, an expert on Islamist movements at the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
"The revolution was not Islamic.We must now reconsider the idea that the Muslim Brotherhood are the most important force in the country, "he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the Mubarak regime nemesis, were officially banned from the Egyptian political sphere, but were tolerated in practice.Drawing on influential social support networks, he presented their candidates as "independents".
After a breakthrough in the legislative elections of 2005, which saw them win nearly 20% of the seats, the Muslim Brotherhood came out empty handed from the first round of the legislative end of 2010, and had decided to boycott the second round, alleging massive fraud and violence.
The brotherhood is particularly active in the mosques, where it carries out actions to help the disadvantaged, in universities and within unions.
Founded in 1928 in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna, it is the oldest movement of Sunni Islam.His doctrine organized around the doctrine of "Tawheed" (Oneness of God), the fusion of religion and politics.
During its history it has oscillated between violent opposition to power and collaboration, between pleas for an Islamic state and insurance companies respect the democratic game. It thus remains an enigma and creates fear of Westerners, who fear the establishment of an Islamic regime in Egypt.
