The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party will occupy 45 percent of the electoral list being prepared by the Democratic Alliance – a collection of political parties that will contend parliamentary seats on one unified list – for the upcoming parliamentary elections in late November, according to a former official of the coalition's electoral coordination committee.
Twenty-five percent of the slate will go to the Nasserist Party, New Ghad Party, Karama Party and one other Islamist parties. The remaining 30 percent are reserved for 25 other political parties, according to Mohamed Refaat, the source.
The Democratic Alliance is comprised of some 40 parties, many of which are Islamist.
Refaat was excluded from the electoral coordination commitee on Saturday as the number of members was cut from seven to four, a move he said was aimed at avoiding internal disagreements. He predicted that the commitee will prepare the electoral list this week, after which the coalition will set a date for convening.
Meanwhile, the committee’s chairman, Wahid Abdel Meguid, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the panel is discussing the problem of crammed candidate lists in some constituencies, especially in Alexandria, which hosts a major Salafi bloc. He added that the committee might raise the issue with the Salafi-led Nour Party by the end of this week.
Abdel Meguid pointed to special arrangements for constituent districts in the provinces of Qena and Sohag where, he said, the coalition expects fierce competition with candidates affiliated the now-defunct National Democratic Party (NDP).
“As soon as we settle on our share in the coalition’s list, we will start receiving candidacy applications, and we will commence coordination with other lists within the coalition," said Freedom and Justice Party Secretary General Saad al-Katatny.
Nasserist Party senior member Mohamed Abul Ela said his party demands not to be ranked below the third position in all of the lists as a condition for continuing in the coalition.
Despite being perceived as a strong member of the coalition and collaborator with the Brotherhood, the Wafd Party decided last week that it will run in parliamentary elections on a separate list.
In the meantime, the Freedom and Justice Party declared the postponement of a coalition meeting previously scheduled for Saturday, until the electoral committee presents the final lists.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
