By Tamim Elyan
CAIRO: Three members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) resigned from the parliament and the party because of the ongoing anti regime protests and the party’s reaction to it.
Two MPs, Mohamed Morshedy from Maadi, Cairo, and Ali Seif from Al Montazah, Alexandria, quit the parliament, while Hussein Abu Taleb quit the party.
“This is the only thing I can do to express my solidarity with the revolution. I don’t agree with this regime and the way it reacted to the current revolution proving that it must leave, including its head,” Abu Taleb told Daily News Egypt.
“I have witnessed unacceptable practices during my membership in the party, the latest was in the legislative elections in which the party used money and thugs in an unprecedented way,” he said.
Morshedy and Seif said they resigned from the parliament due to the violence used against pro-democracy protestors in Tahrir Square.
“We didn’t coordinate these resignations but they come in solidarity with the youth who sparked this revolution. It’s a message for them that they aren’t alone,” he added.
Clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators camped in Tahrir Square and pro-Mubarak groups on Wednesday and Thursday, in which Molotov cocktails were used, left eight dead and 915 injured, according to official estimates.
Protestors and opposition powers accused the party of using thugs to attack protestors, especially that horses and camels were used by the pro-Mubarak mob.
However, Maged Al-Sherbeeny, the party’s newly appointed secretary of the organization replacing Ahmed Ezz, told Daily News Egypt the party didn’t arrange for these clashes and members were instructed not to approach protestors.
“Those who are benefiting from the current regime are trying to protect it and are paying people to attack the protestors and allowed camels and horses to break into the protests,” Abu Taleb said.
