The Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) and Al-Dostour Party formed a joint committee to set up a “merger soon”, according to a statement issued by ESDP leader Basem Kamel.
According to the statement, the committee held its first meeting on Saturday at ESDP headquarters. The meeting was attended by Ayman Ismail, Anisa Hassouna, Walid Jibril and Tamer Gomaa from Al-Dostour High Board and ESDP Vice-President Hanna Gereis, ESDP Secretary-General Ahmed Fawzy, ESDP’s public action secretary, Mohamed Arafat and ESDP high board member Mawaheb Al-Mowelhy..
The attendees discussed the possibility of the merger from political and legal angles, they agreed on a general framework for the merger process.
The committee formed sub-committees to formulate a developed merging project, to be discussed with the parties’ members in the first two weeks of November 2013.
Al-Dostour high board member, Jibril, said that the merger project tabled right now is a permanent one, not a temporary alliance for parliamentary elections.
Jibril added that the similarity of ideologies and political programs of Al-Dostour and ESDP was a motive for proposing a merger project “Both parties focus on Social Justice” Jibril explained.
ESDP’s public action secretary, Arafat said that there is a probability that the result of this merger project will be a party with a new name. He described the meeting as “fruitful” and said that another meeting will be held after Eid Al-Adha and then the final meeting in November to finalize the merger in order to present it to both parties’ high boards.
The Free Egyptians Party announced two weeks ago that it is merging with the Democratic Front Party, the focus being gaining parliamentary majority.
Liberal and civil forces are looking to merge to meet competition in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
