'Support Egypt' observes reaction to merging move

Fuente: 
Egypt Today
Fecha de publicación: 
25 Abr 2018

The head of the Parliament’s majority Support Egypt coalition, Mohamed Al-Sewedi, met on Tuesday at the coalition headquarters members of the Parliamentary bloc’s offices in all of Egypt’s governorates. 

Members of the Egyptian parliament’s majority bloc has been putting out feelers lately to see how the Egyptian citizens will react to the suggestion of merging all parties within the coalition into a unified party. 

The meeting came to provide the members of the Support Egypt coalition with updates on the Egyptian political spectrum, also to review the coalition’s future plan.

“Everyone has heard of the coalition’s plans to transform into a unified party, a step needed to fill the Egyptian political vacuum despite the numerous existing political parties,” said Al-Sewedi during the opening speech of the meeting. 

“The coalition’s general Assembly will make a final decision regarding the issue after studying the legality of the process,” added MP Al-Sewedi. 

The head of the Support Egypt coalition revealed that the bloc’s legal experts are sorting out the current legislative controversy over the merging suggestion. 

Article 110 of the Constitution stipulates that Members of Parliament may be stripped of their legislative seat if they lose the conditions for membership on the basis of which they were elected. The article also explains that stripping the membership of a parliamentarian needs the approval of two thirds of the Parliament members; the Support Egypt coalition holds around 400 of 597 seats in Parliament. 

Al-Sewedi refuted all claims that the expected party will act as a new National Democratic Party (NDP). 

We cannot repeat the past and expect a different result, the current economic reformation requires a serious political reformation as well,” said MP Al-Sewedi during the meeting. 

The coalition is facing another obstacle coming from three of its parties, the Homeland Defenders Party, Conference Party and Nation’s Future Party. Seemingly refusing the move, the three parties shared deep reservations about the merging of the coalition’s parties and members into a unified party. 

The head of the Conference Party, Omar El Mokhtar, said in press statements that the merging move will face several legislative hurdles. El Mokhtar added that it will be hard for his party to forsake its name and independent structure. However, the party preserves its commitment to its alliance with the coalition inside the Parliament, El Mokhtar continued in a press statement. 

In the same context, the head of the Nation’s Future Party, Ashraf Rashad told Al Watan Newspaper that the merging move will probably cause a disagreement among the coalition’s parties. Rashad added that his party has not received an official statement from the Support Egypt coalition concerning the suggestion. 

The deputy head of the Homeland Defenders Party, Mohammed El Ghobashy, said in press statements that his party is not willing to give up its existing entity and its activities in the political theatre. 

Egypt Today

http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/2/48600/Support-Egypt-observes-reactio...