Nasserite Party Secretary-General Ahmed Hassan has said his party planned to field candidates in upcoming parliamentary elections–even if the elections were rigged in favor of the ruling National Democratic Party of President Hosni Mubarak.
“But we will request certain guarantees, such as judicial supervision of elections and a ban on interference by security services,” Hassan said, adding that the party, at a recent meeting, had decided against boycotting elections.
“We will nominate 55 male and female candidates,” he said, noting that the Wafd, Tagammu and Gabha opposition parties–with which the Nasserite Party has recently entered into a “quadripartite” coalition–had also decided to field candidates in elections.
The Tagammu Party, meanwhile, is reportedly facing internal differences over its candidate list, with 21 party members resigning in protest over the nomination of Ayman Galal to run in the Ismailia constituency.
Party President Refaat el-Saeed, however, denied any rift within Tagammu’s ranks.
“I haven’t received any resignations,” he said. “I make sure that candidates from the party’s provincial branches are approved by all members, since each branch will pick up the cost of the campaigns.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
