The Brotherhood's Shura Council (consultative council) decided in a meeting to form its own Freedom and Justice Party and adopted the party's program, said Mohammed Hussein, secretary general of the group at a press conference.
The new party will be headed by Mohammed al-Mursi, a member of the Brotherhood's politburo, according to a statement of the shura council, which said the party will operate independently from the Brotherhood but will coordinate with it.
Al-Mursi stressed at the press conference that the group's new party is a civil party but not "theocratic," adding he expected women and Coptic Christians would join the party.
Parties based on religion, class or regionalism are forbidden by the Egyptian Constitution.
The Muslim Brotherhood was officially banned since 1954 and its candidates ran as independent candidates in the previous parliamentary elections.
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