Wasat: A Challenge to the Brotherhood?

For a great many years a moderate Islamist party in Egypt, the Wasat (center or centrist) Party has sought official recognition, which has been consistently denied. Formed by younger, disillusioned members of the Muslim Brotherhood, it could very well prove the moderate alternative to the Brotherhood that the Mubarak regime always kept from emerging, so as to make the Brotherhood the sole face of Islamist politics. Since the fall of Mubarak, the Wasat Party, which likes to compare itself to Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has finally won recognition.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood itself is now preparing to form its own political party, apparently to be called the Freedom and Justice Party.