At the end of last month, Abū al-‘Ilā
Mādī, the representative of the new Wasat Party’s founders, submitted a request to the Committee for
Party Affairs to get an official license to establish the party. This is the fourth time within ten years that the founders’
representative proposes the official registration of the party..
The author states that when he read the final version
of the Wasat Party’s platform he felt that it tends towards the civilness of the political party rather than its
religiousness. This does not mean, the author argues, that the party is opposed to religion. It seems like the al-Wasat
Party has restored the model Imam Muhammad ‘Abdū drew at the end of the 19th century when
he stressed the civilness of parties in the platform of the National Party in 1881.
Thus, the Wasat Party stresses the
following principles: the people are the source of authority, citizenship governs the relationship between citizens so there
shall be no discrimination between them in rights and duties on basis of religion, race, color, position or wealth, and all
have the right to assume senior positions including the presidency.
The party’s platform further stresses the role of
education in consolidating citizenship values and integrating citizens into the public/political domain.
العربية