CAIRO: Al-Tagammu Party leaders and members said at a ceremony celebrating its 35th anniversary Wednesday that the future of the party lies in the hands of the youth and that the party’s upcoming general conference will bring them to power.
The ceremony was attended by prominent figures from across the political spectrum including presidential candidate Amr Moussa, and members from Al-Wafd, Nasserist and Al-Karama parties who stressed the importance of collaborating ahead of the elections.
"Our ceremony today proves that Al-Tagammu was always at the helm of the political movement in Egypt, we always did our best to live up to the responsibilities and after Jan. 25 we will revive our dreams of a civil democratic state that enjoys social justice," said Refaat Al-Saeed, head of Al-Tagammu Party.
"We are adamant on holding the upcoming elections through the proportional roster to create an understanding that won’t allow anyone to monopolize power again," he added.
Tagammu members said that this is the first ceremony without central security forces surrounding its headquarters and heavy police presence.
More than 70 members of the party resigned last month and joined the newly established Popular Coalition Leftist Party amid criticism of the party’s leadership.
"Having multiple leftist streams is an advantage and we will seek coordination with them," said Sayed Abdel A’al, general secretary of the party.
The ceremony witnessed high attendance by the party’s youth who were greeted by Al-Saeed.
"The party will either be revived again or die forever if it didn’t engage strongly with the masses and implement a true reform plan that respects the desires of the youth," said Ahmed Belal, member of the party’s central committee and one of its young members.
"With all due respect to the party’s senior leaderships, this is the time for the youth after the revolution opened doors for them," he added.
Abdel A’al said that one of the priorities of the party’s upcoming general conference next July will be bringing youth to leadership positions.
"They are the ones who sparked the revolution and they deserve their full chance," he said.
