The National Democratic Party (NDP) will request formal guarantees from the government should it decide to extend emergency law, said Gamal Mubarak, son of President Hosni Mubarak and assistant secretary-general of the NDP, at a press conference Thursday.
Mubarak, who is also head of the NDP’s policies secretariat, said emergency law should be applied only to acts of terrorism, as it will take some time before a new anti-terrorism law is drafted.
“Those calling for change should defend their views, said Mubarak, stressing that his party will not be on the defensive. The change that has taken place in Egyptian society took place within the overall vision of the party, he added.
Referring to the recent escalation in protests, he said, “Change often produces some problems, but the government should respond to the demands of the protesters if they are lawful, or at the least, should explain to them what can and cannot be done.”
Discussing next year’s presidential elections, Mubarak stated, “It is premature to talk about this now, as we are currently preparing for this year’s parliamentary elections.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
