Zamzam leaders discuss plans for projected political party

AMMAN — Leaders of the National Building Initiative (Zamzam) on Saturday organised a public meeting to showcase the founding principles of the political party they are about to launch.

The founding leaders brainstormed with their supporters over a set of principles and administrative measures, including the name of the party; its by-law, committees and headquarters.

Leaders of the initiative said the projected political party will be civil, nonaligned, inclusive and of purely national goals resting on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. 

General coordinator of the movement Rheil Gharaibeh stressed the need for a profound revision of the local, regional and international developments, explaining that the current challenges require "wisdom" and "prudence".

"We are in dire need for consensus, away from the persisting religious, ethnic and exclusivist ideology," he said.

Gharaibeh added that founders of Zamzam are working on establishing a political party "flexible and capable of attracting people of experience, beyond from religious, ideological, geographical, tribal and political alliances". 

The Zamzam initiative was launched in 2012 by moderate Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood and other political figures, who made proposals to address the challenges facing the Kingdom.

The Brotherhood rejected the move, which was seen as a sign of disarray within its ranks.

The Muslim Brotherhood later expelled three leading members Gharaibeh, Nabil Kofahi and Jamil Dheisat over their involvement in the initiative.