The Strong Egypt Party (SEP) won’t form an electoral committee with Masr Al-Horeya party or any other member of the National Salvation Front (NSF).
The party’s stance on electoral committees was confirmed following a meeting between members of the party’s political bureau and Masr Al-Horeya members on Tuesday.
“Both parties agreed to offer respectable representatives to run for the coming parliamentary elections,” said Ahmed Emam, a member of Strong Egypt Party’s political bureau who attended the meeting. He added that both parties also decided to propose to the parliament a “suitable agenda to meet the need of the people”.
The SEP, nevertheless, is not intent on forming electoral committees with movements comprising the NSF. The party had repeatedly refused calls to join the NSF, citing reservations on certain members of the NSF whom they consider former regime affiliates. “The formation of the NSF helps nurture the polarisation currently taking over the political scene,” Emam said.
The party has so far not joined any coalitions. Emam said no coalitions will be announced without the consensus its members in regards to electoral lists, division of labour and joint slogans.
The purpose of the meeting was to exchange both parties’ views and clarify the SEP’s stance towards opposition groups. The SEP members also seized the opportunity to further explain their reasons for not joining the NSF.
The SEP met with other political parties gearing up for the parliamentary elections. Among the parties the SEP met was the Egyptian Current Party, another opposition party which refused to join the NSF for reasons similar to that of the SEP’s.
A date is yet to be set for parliamentary elections. They were originally scheduled to for soon after the constitution passes. The new constitution was voted on in a referendum on 15 and 22 December, 2012. It passed with almost 64% approval late December.
