President Mubarak said our top priority will continue to be providing social protection for the poor and limited income brackets adding our goal will continue to be developing education, health care, housing, utilities and communications.

        

Addressing the inaugural session of the 9th congress of the National Democratic Party (NDP), following his election as NDP Chairman in an ad hoc session preceding the inauguration, the President said we shall never abandon the poor, and limited income categories adding we shall work for achieving justice in distributing the revenues of reform and development among the poor.

        

President Mubarak said the National Democratic Party (NDP) is capable of leading the party and political life as well as the nation.

 

The President called on the congress to make an objective assessment of the party's performance since the 8th congress.

 

 

He added evaluation process should be candid, open and presenting all points of success and failure.

        

He said the congress will deal with four basic axes closely connected with Egypt's present and future and reflect the Egyptians main concerns.

        

Expressing appreciation for his re-election as leader of the party, President Mubarak said the NDP decision to re-elect him showed great confidence that he cherished and appreciated.

        

The President said NDP members start this congress with an unshakable faith in the party's principles, ideology, vision, policies and programmes.

        

The President said as a majority party the NDP is capable of leading political life in the country.

        

The NDP has played this role and shouldered this responsibility with honor and honesty through difficult times and challenges in the inside and outside and will continue to do so, he added.

       

Referring to the recent NDP elections, President Mubarak praised this new and leading experiment in party activity and called for examining its results.

       

The President said the congress provides an opportunity for comprehensive assessment of the performance of the party. In addition to this required objective assessment, the congress will deal with an ambitious and important agenda, he added.

        

President Mubarak said the four basic axes that the congress will deal with are the issues of employment and investment, services and social justice, Egypt's national security and citizenship and democracy.

        

Dealing with the first axis, the President referred to several international reports that hailed Egypt's substantial economic reform steps and investment-attracting atmosphere.

        

He added the congress will deal with direct impact of the issue of services and social justice on citizens in general and on the limited income brackets in particular.

        

As for the third axis, the congress will deal with the strategic, political and economic dimensions of Egypt's national security, the President said.

        

The President said Egypt's national security is a shield that protects the country and its sovereignty in a region plagued with crises.

        

He said Egypt's national security is part and parcel of the security of the Gulf area, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

        

President Mubarak said the NDP members will also discuss the issue of citizenship and democracy and its connection with political reform steps.

       

Last year's constitutional reforms endorsed and equality among citizens was maintained in rights and duties, he added.

       

Concluding, the President wished the NDP members success expressing confidence that the congress would be an important addition to the party.

        

The congress approved the introduction of some amendments in the NDP statute including three items the first one of which provides for the establishment of a higher body of the party including the members of the NDP  secretariat general and the politburo whereas the second provides for holding an extraordinary congress by the party for the election of its presidential candidate on condition that the candidate should get 50% of votes. The third amendment relates to the annual congress which will be held every four years instead of five years.