"The NDP would focus during its ninth congress on social justice and economic conditions of all Egyptian citizens,"said Secretary-General of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Safwat El-Sherif on Tuesday 30/10/2007 at an open dialogue between Sherif and visitors of the NDP website. The dialogue was run by Dr. Aliye Edin Hilal, the NDP media secretary.

Sherif expressed the NDP's and government's commitment to subsidizing bread through an increase estimated at LE 7 billion, 18,000 and new bakeries.

Sherif answered questions by the visitors on a number of issues such as the freedom of expression and subsidies.

Asked about freedom of expression, Sherif said that the NDP under President Hosni Mubarak has been defending and respecting the freedom of expression.

Sherif said the new press law gave all journalists all rights, pointing out that the NDP and the President honored their pledges on abolishing imprisonment sentences in publication-related cases.

Sherif pointed out to President Mubarak's decisive stances that backed freedom of expression through his intervention to replace imprisonment terms with fines in the press law.

31/10/2007