Egyptian media has reported that Mohamed Saad El-Katatni has become the first elected president of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s political party. According to an Ahram Online report:
Friday 19 Oct 2012 Muslim Brotherhood heavyweight Mohamed Saad El-Katatni has become the first elected president of the group’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) after members of the party’s general assembly cast their ballots on Friday. El-Katatni won with 67 per cent of the vote over his rival, Essam El-Erian, who garnered 32.7 per cent of the vote after polling was conducted in Education City, located in 6 October City on the outskirts of Cairo. Ironically, Education City – formerly known as ‘Mubarak City’ – is where the National Democratic Party of ousted president Hosni Mubarak held its last conference before being dissolved in the wake of last year’s revolution. The results, announced by Hussein Ibrahim, head of the FJP’s electoral committee, were met with thunderous applause. El-Katatni then took the podium to address his supporters. ‘My beloved brother, Essam El-Erian, and members of the general assembly, my dear guests, and all representatives of the media, I thank you all for attending these elections, which represent a celebration of democracy for the FJP,’ the new party chairman declared. ‘The real winner here is the FJP.’ He also stressed that the party’s main goal was to maintain unity and work towards Egypt’s national revival. He also heaped praise on his electoral rival. ‘My brother, Essam El-Erian, brings enormous value to the party with his political experience,’ he said. ‘We have learned from many of his experiences; it’s impossible to ever let go of this amazing man.’ El-Katatni then spoke of his victory as ‘only a first step’ towards the many goals the FJP hopes to achieve. ‘We have many challenges ahead of us, which we began when Mohamed Morsi was party president, and now we will continue down this path in building the party,’ he said. ‘But the most important priority now is to unite the Egyptian people again with all its parties and ideologies and to work together for the good of the nation.
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