Thirty-two Egyptian political parties have agreed to form a joint electoral list for the upcoming parliamentary elections, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
Ahmed El-Fadali, the leader of the Independence Current political coalition, announced at a press conference on Sunday that the small, mostly newly-founded, parties have “answered President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s call for unity of parties” by forming a joint electoral list.
In January El-Sisi had called for political parties standing in the delayed elections to join together in a single coalition.
The parties taking part in the Independence Current’s list include the leftist Tagamoa Party and the Egyptian Arab Socialist Party, both small but well-established, and other more recently founded parties such as Masr El-Fatah, El-Reyada, Ahrar El-Thawra, El-Masry El-Qawmy, the New Independents Party, Social Peace and others.
The Independence Current includes the Tourism Workers Syndicate, the New Independents Party, Al-Entemaa Party and other political figures.
Critics have accused the current, including its controversial founder El-Fadali - of affiliation with figures from the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt is expecting to hold the first parliamentary elections since 2012 at some point this year.
Originally set for March, the elections were postponed when the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled several electoral laws unconstitutional. The laws are in the process of being amended.
El-Sisi told leaders of political parties at a meeting last week that Egypt would have a new parliament “before the end of 2015.”
Once in session, the parliament will review within 15 days all laws issued under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his interim predecessor Adly Mansour.
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/131657/Egypt/Politics-/-sma...
