Islamists urge army to build trust with Egyptians

By Tom Perry

CAIRO, Feb 15

The Muslim Brotherhood wants Egypt's military rulers to build a "bridge of confidence" to the nation by lifting the state of emergency and freeing political prisoners, a leader of the Islamist group said on Tuesday.

Essam al-Erian said the military council to which Hosni Mubarak handed power had won trust by stating its intention to transfer control to an elected government. "This confidence needs to be increased by steps on the ground," he told Reuters.

"We, together with the entire nation ... are in need of a bridge of confidence between the army and the people," said Erian, a leading member of the movement seen as the best organised opposition after Mubarak's 30 years of one-man rule.

"True, there are some people who are afraid, people saying that this could turn into something else, but we have confidence that the army has a commitment and a promise to transfer power," he said in a telephone interview.

The Brotherhood was founded in the 1920s and has deep roots in Egypt's conservative Muslim society. Although Mubarak maintained a formal ban on the group, his administration tolerated it so long as it did not challenge his power.

The Brotherhood says it will not seek the presidency or a parliamentary majority in elections which the military rulers have promised to hold, signalling no intention to take power.

Explaining the group's position, Erian said: "Now is the time for unity, national consensus and solidarity." He added: "We want national consensus to move to a democratic system."

"SIMPLE STEPS"

The United States has expressed concern about what it has called the Brotherhood's "anti-American rhetoric", but stopped short of saying it would be against the group taking a role in a future government.

Israel is uneasy about the Brotherhood having a bigger role, since it has historical links with the Palestinian Hamas group which controls the blockaded Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt, and which remains in violent confrontation with the Jewish state.

Under Mubarak, Egypt cooperated with Israel against Hamas.

Symbolising the dramatic changes that have swept Egypt, state television broadcast an interview with Erian on Tuesday -- something that was unimaginable just a few weeks ago.

Daily communiques from the military council have promised a peaceful transition to a civilian government through free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.

The state news agency said on Tuesday the council hoped to hand power to an elected government within six months.

The council has pledged to lift the state of emergency which has suppressed political life in Egypt, saying that will happen when "the current circumstances" are over, but not giving an indication of when that might be.

Erian urged other measures such an amnesty against those who had been condemned on political charges during Mubarak's three decades in power. A new law granting freedom to form political parties should also be declared.

The Brotherhood has said it will set up a political party once restrictions are lifted that prevented it and other groups from doing so under Mubarak.

Erian said those opposition parties which existed under Mubarak were "an illusion". A new parties law must be drafted as one of the "simple steps" that would reassure people of the army's "sincere intention", he added.

"What is required is a timetable, saying to people which steps will be taken, their timing, and when and how this (interim) period will end," he added.

(Reuters)