Prosecutor General investigates reports on changing Labor Party principles

The Parties Affairs Committee which regulates the activities of political parties, Saturday closed al-Shaab newspaper the mouthpiece of the opposition Labor Party and effectively froze the Party's activities until the current dispute over its leadership was conclusively settled.

The Committee, presided by the Shura Council Speaker Mustafa Kamal Helmy also decided to refer the complaints of the disputes for the chairmanship of the party to the Prosecutor General to examine the allegations against the current leadership under Article 17 of Political Parties Law.

The Attorney will notify the Committee of the results of the investigations and the necessary procedures will be taken accordingly.

The Committee will recognize none of the disputes as chairman of the party until the dispute is settled either by court or reconciliation. The Committee which convened yesterday, included Minister of Justice, Farouq Seif El-Nasr, Minister of Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Kamal El-Shazly and Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly.

The Committee said al-Shaab and other Party publications would stay closed and referred the accusations against the Party leaders to the Socialist Prosecutor.

It added that it didn't recognize any of the three men currently contesting the leadership of the Party.