CAIRO: Justice is hope, members of the under formation El-Adl (Justice) Party repeated as they addressed the hundreds attending its first conference on Friday at Azhar Park.
They steered away from providing details of the party’s specific policies, but instead hammered in few messages. It is central in its political views; it is youth oriented; ideas and decisions are taken from the bottom up; it’s based on ideas rather than figureheads; and through justice or equality in gender, classes, education, health and people of different faiths, hope will prevail.
Activist and founding member Mostafa El-Naggar said they refused to have the party associated with certain names, instead “we were biased to ideas and principals.”
The party did provide a list of it main funders in a bid for transparency that was hailed by members as a first of its kind by a political party. Yet, the focus was on the young members.
“Youth are at the forefront of the party,” said Wahid Abdel-Maguid, political analyst and member of the party’s consultant committee.
“This party sees it best to be centralist, without monopolizing the center,” said Abdel-Rahman Youssef, poet and activist, who was presenting the speakers. He hinted at cooperation with other parties, by saying whoever wins elections would have to cooperate with the rest especially to draft the constitution.
On a stage perched up on a green expanse next to a man-made lake at the park, members explained why they joined or what attracted them to the party. Visitors were greeted at the door with ‘introductory’ forms to fill and presented with the option to finish the paper work necessary to join the party.
Festive in spirit, the gathering would have been easily mistaken for an uptown celebration if it weren’t for the paper work at the entrance. “We hope to attract the park’s visitors to come and ask,” one of the young members said.
As speakers got on stage, the Salah El-Din Citadel in the distant background, short films describing the injustices in fields like education, health, employment and practicing religion were shown, displaying a much lower income sector not present at the conference.
Reconciliation of social and economic classes, of genders, of religions, and of urban and rural societies are the objectives of the party to preserve the “wide Egyptian fabric,” according to Samir Morqos, member of the party’s consultant committee.
“Those who can find the real concerns and problems of the people will be able to build,” said Amr El-Chobaki, political analyst and member of the party’s consultant committee.
El-Chobaki, like the rest of the senior members of the committee, emphasized the importance of rebuilding the country, saying it needs skill not just willpower.
“Any political project that doesn’t include building won’t succeed,” he added.
He called on people to participate in the community whether through political parties, civil society organizations or any way they see fit. “The idea of a silent Egyptian that doesn’t participate in his society fell with the regime.”
The party has set up nine headquarters so far outside Cairo, in Daqahleya, Sharqeya, Gharbeya, Giza, Suez, Menya, Alexandria, Qena and the Red Sea Governorates.
It also announced the launch of four projects aimed at social engagement and research. The first focuses on research in governorates to find solutions for each area’s problems; the El-Adl Center for Cultural and Ideological Studies; the El-Adl Center for Polls; and a weekly salon the first of which will discuss the party’s view regarding the constitution and the best governing system for Egypt on May 11.
