Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy

STUDY VISIT Representatives of Egyptian political parties and campaigns 11-15 July BACKGROUND NOTE FOR SPEAKERS ______

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, erupted in mass protests in January 2011, as the revolution in Tunisia inflamed decades of grievances against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak in a context of increasing political and socio-economic frustration. Following 18 days of angry protests and after losing the support of the military and of several allies, Mr. Mubarak resigned on 11 February, ending 30 years of autocratic rule.

Following the resignation, the military stepped forward and took power, deciding to quickly suspend unpopular provisions of the constitution, dissolving the People’s Assembly and the Shura Council (the two components of the legislative branch), and declaring its intention to hand power back to civilians before the end of 2011. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), headed by Defense Minister Muhammad Hussein Tantawi, assumed control. Since March 4 2011 Prime Minister Essam Abdel Aziz Sharaf, a former transport minister under Mr Mubarak, is the new head of government.

On March 20, a set of constitutional amendments that prepared for elections was overwhelmingly approved by 77% of Egyptians in a referendum that saw an unprecedented turnout, 18 millions of people out of 45 millions eligible voters.

The package of amendments approved includes1:

 Presidential candidates would have three options to get onto the ballot: (1) nomination by a political party that has at least one seat in the PA or the Shura Council; (2) the endorsement of 30 elected members of the People's Assembly or the Shura Council; or (3) being supported by 30,000 eligible voters from at least 15 governorates, including at least 1,000 from each governorate.

 The presidential term would be reduced from six to four years, with a two-term limit.

 The President would be required to appoint at least one vice-president.

 The role of the judiciary in supervising the electoral process would be restored and the judiciary would serve as the final arbiter of the validity of legal challenges to election results.

 The President or half of the MPs could call for a new Constitution to be drafted, by a 100 member constitutional committee selected by elected members of the PA and the Shura Council.

 The President would be able to call a state of emergency, but only with PA approval and only for a period of six months. Extension of a state of emergency beyond six months would require approval by a public referendum.

1 International Foundation for Electoral Systems April 2011 Elections in Egypt: Lessons from the 2011 Constitutional Referendum and the Constitutional Declaration Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy

 Article 179 which sets aside human rights provisions in terrorism cases would be repealed.

On March 30 the SCAF (military council) issued a Constitutional Declaration setting out the constitutional framework that will apply in Egypt until a new constitution can be drafted following parliamentary and presidential elections. However, there have been calls for parliamentary elections to be delayed to allow more time for new and emerging political forces to become established and to prepare to contest the elections. The military council will oversee the transition process until the elections are held.

The Constitutional Declaration foresees that the SCAF should call a joint sitting of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council within six months of their election to elect a 100-member Constitutional Assembly that will be responsible for drafting a new Constitution. The Assembly must produce its draft within six months, and a referendum must then be held within 15 days to approve or reject the new Constitution. The Constitutional Declaration does not specify the composition of the Assembly, its leadership or organization, how its membership will be elected, or any requirement for it to invite public submissions on the new Constitution or undertake public consultations.

As far as the role of the new political parties is concerned, most of the existing political and other civil society forces in Egypt remain relatively weak2, lacking experience and to some extend strategies so as to constitute clear alternatives to the policies of the military council. In fact, in spite of the cohesion reached during the protests against Mubarak, political and civil society groups are also very fragmented and have been unable so far to elaborate a common platform.

Political Parties represented within the study visit

The Arab Democratic Nasserist Party (Hizb Al Arabi Al Naseri) was formally licensed in 1992 under the leadership of Diaeddin Daoud, after a decade-long legal battle with the Political Parties Committee and other government institutions attempting to prevent the organization’s bid for legal recognition. The Nasserist Party endorses Arab nationalism, socialism, and other ideals associated with the 1952 revolution. The party has modeled itself after the former Arab Socialist Union Party and still adheres to key documents that emerged from the nationalist revolution.

Al-Wasat (Center) Party was founded in 1996 when several young members of the Muslim Brotherhood broke away from the organization to form their own party. The party seeks to interpret Islamic principles in a manner consistent with the values of a liberal democratic system. Although al-Wasat advocates a political system that is firmly anchored in Islamic law, it also views sharia's principles as flexible and wholly compatible with the principles of pluralism and equal citizenship rights3. Al-Wasat has applied for legal party status several times since 1996 but was always denied. In 2000, the government did grant al-Wasat permission to form an NGO. The Al-Wasat Party is said to defend equal citizens' rights, regardless of religion or

2 M.C. Paciello: "Egypt: Changes and Challenges of Political Transition" MEDPRO Technical Report May 4 2011 3 Carnegie Guide to Egypt's Elections, information retrieved from: http://egyptelections.carnegieendowment.org/2010/09/16/center-al-wasat-party; Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy gender and it profiles itself as an advocate for the poor and middle class and has a liberal approach towards private sector investment. On foreign policy issues the party pushes for an increased cooperation between Arab countries in military, political and economic affairs. Abu al- ‘Ala Madi is a founder and president of the Al-Wasat party.

Dignity (El-Karama) Party, a left-leaning Nasserist party, was founded in 1996 by Hamdeen Sabahi, a former parliamentary representative of the Arab Democratic Nasserist party who had defected from the group over disagreements with its leader, Diaeddin Daoud. Al-Karama has socialist tendencies and calls for political pluralism. The party has denounced President Mubarak’s government for monopolizing political power and restricting the activities of opposition groups. El-Karama had petitioned the Political Parties Committee (PPC) for legal status without success. In 2002, the PPC claimed that the party’s platform was not unique enough in comparison to other existing opposition groups, and in 2004 said that it “espoused a radical ideology.” In the 2000 parliamentary elections, El-Karama leader Hamdeen Sabahi ran as an independent candidate and won a seat. El-Karama supports the National Association for Change4.

April 6 Youth Movement was created in 2008 as a Facebook group to support the workers protesting in the city of al-Mahalla al-Kubra. As the protests escalated into a nationwide strike, the Facebook group gained momentum and eventually coalesced into a political movement known as the April 6 Youth Movement. The group has since organized other protests and demonstrations including solidarity protests for Gaza and demonstrations in support of jailed journalists and bloggers. In 2009, the group claimed a membership of around 70,000 young Egyptians, most of whom are well-educated and politically unaffiliated. Like other protest movements in Egypt, the April 6 Youth Movement is not a formal political party. The movement has suffered from regime oppression and its anniversary strikes in 2009 and 2010 ended in deadly violence5. Esraa Rashid, one of the movement's founding members was jailed for organizing the strike in 2008 while her colleague Ahmed Maher was tortured by the police in order to provide them with the group's administrator password6.

The People's Socialist Coalition Party (Hizeb Tahaluf El Shaab El Eshtraky) held its founding meeting on 26 February 2011. Presently the party's efforts are channelled into two main directions: setting up the party and forming its position about current events. The party is also preparing educational booklets explaining the principles and ideologies of socialism. On 1 May the party organised its first party congress. Although the concrete programme is still under discussion, the five main objectives of the party were outlined: political (towards building a new democracy), economic (the human before the profit), social (humans are the foundation of development), cultural (towards a creative and free society) and foreign policy (Egypt’s contribution towards a free and fair world). The congress was chaired by Ibrahim El-Essawy, economist and former member of the left of centre Tagammu Party7.

4 Carnegie Guide to Egypt's Elections, information retrieved from: http://egyptelections.carnegieendowment.org/2010/09/16/the-dignity-al-karama-party 5 Carnegie Guide to Egypt' elections, information retrieved from: http://egyptelections.carnegieendowment.org/2010/09/22/the-april-6-youth-movement; 6 Revolution, Facebook-Style, information retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/magazine/25bloggers-t.html?pagewanted=5; 7 The People's Socialist Coalition Party holds first general meeting, information retrieved from: http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/egypt/the-peoples-socialist-coalition-party-holds-first-general- meeting.html; Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy

Tomorrow Party (El-Ghad) is a liberal secular party. It favours close relations with the west and claims for more political participation as well as a more democratic execution of government. It has been officially admitted in 2004 under the leadership of Ayman Nour. Even if it counted only around 2000 members, Nour was considered as one of the most important opponents to Mubarak, and gained 7.57% of the votes during presidential elections in 2005. El Ghad was permitted observer status in the Liberal International during its Congress in Cairo 2009.

The Free Egyptians Party (Al Masryoon Al Ahrar) is an anti-sectarian liberal party founded in April 2011 by the Coptic businessman Naguib Sawiris. The party's basic principles include promoting democracy, civil freedoms, equality, and freedom of religion within a secular state, the separation of powers and a stronger role of youth in building the future. When on May 27th protesters re-occupied Tahrir Square in central Cairo after calling for a "day of rage" the Free Egyptians Party supported the demonstration, although the party’s founder, Sawiris, was personally against taking part. The Free Egyptians Party is among the four liberal parties (including the Justice Party, the Democratic Front and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party) who have suggested that they may form a coalition to challenge the religious bloc, in the upcoming elections.

The Nahda ("Renaissance Party") is a liberal-progressive nationalist group similar to Islamist modernists in Turkey and Tunisia, funded by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh

The Light (Al-Nour) is a party formed by the Salafi movement. The new party's program, according to one of its founders, Imad Abdul-Ghafur, aims to "maintain the identity of the country and regain its preeminent position among nations," and to further economic and social development. On its Facebook group page it identifies itself as a party that "believes Islamic laws should control political, economic and social jurisprudence." The party also says it believes in the foundation of a modern state based on respectful coexistence among all citizens and the need to guarantee the religious freedom of Egypt's Christians, and their right to arbitrate themselves issues in which there is a difference in rulings between their religion and the Islamic Shariaa. The party was legally recognized on 24 May.

The Justice Party (el-Adl) is a secular, liberal group often linked to presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei due to the fact that ElBaradei’s sister Mona and the coordinator of his supporting committee, Mostafa El-Naggar, are among the co-founders. However, the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency is not a member of the party and is planning to run for the presidency as an independent. The Justice Party was officially founded on May 11 after gathering 5,000 signatures from all across Egypt and it is expected to field candidates in 50 to 75 of the Egyptian constituencies during the 2011 parliamentary elections. Its policies focus on solving education, health and employment issues in Egypt as well as achieving the demands called for by the Egyptian revolution. The Justice Party is run mostly by young people, and it is trying to win the support of the “silent majority” which approved the constitutional amendments.

Democratic Front Party (Hizb Al Gabha Al Democratia) was founded in 2007 by Osama Al Ghazali Harb, a former member of the Egypt's National Democratic Party and Member of the Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy

Shura Council, and by a former government minister. The party adopts liberal ideologies and it is a full member of both the Liberal International and the Alliance of Democrats. Among its stated objectives are confronting all forms of corruption, a reform of economic policy, the elimination of illiteracy, elimination of religious-based and socio-cultural based discrimination, women empowerment, universal extension of the basic health care, and a revival of Egypt’s leading regional and global role.

The Freedom Egypt Party (Hizb Masr Alhureyya) is a liberal democratic center-left party founded on 18 May 2011 by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace´ former research director Dr Amr Hamzawy and a group of Egyptian youth after the revolution of 2011.

The New Wafd Party was founded in 1977 after the disbandment of the Al-Wafd, a large popular movement founded in 1919 with 2 million members. It favours a conservative national policy, especially in economic terms, as well as a secular society and calls for democratisation and social cohesion. Shortly after Mubarak’s resignation, the Wafd’s secretary general, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour accepted a position as Minister of Tourism in a new cabinet formed by Prime Mister Ahmed Shafiq - a decision which alienated many Wafdists and lead to Nour's resignation from his position as secretary general. The New Wafd Party disapproved the constitutional amendments put to the vote 19 March, fearing that the changes would grant too much power to Egypt’s next president. The main points of its platform are: decentralizing the political system, term limits for the presidency and other leadership positions; limiting the declaration of states of emergency to wars and other national catastrophes; strengthening the judiciary and guaranteeing its independence.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the main islamist opposition force, largely banned from political participation under the rule of Hosni Mubarak, announced on 21 February 2011, that it intended to found the Freedom and Justice Party, set to be led by Dr. Saad Ketatni. The party has stated that it does not seek a majority in the Egyptian parliament, rather hoping to form "a wide- ranging electoral coalition" from the left and right, liberals and Islamists to govern Egypt. The MB has confirmed that it does not object to the election of women or Copts to government position but is less clear when it comes to the Presidency. The Freedom and Justice Party will be based on Islamic law, "but will be acceptable to a wide segment of the population," said leading MB member Essam al-Arian. The party’s membership will be open to all Egyptians who accept the terms of its programme. The spokesperson for the party said that "when we talk about the slogans of the revolution – freedom, social justice, equality – all of these are in the Sharia" (Islamic law). Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy

National Association for Change/ Mohamed El Baradei Presidential Campaign

Mohamed El Baradei is a law scholar and diplomat. He was the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. El Baradei was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for his efforts to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons and for his diplomatic efforts. On the 9th of March, El Baradei declared his candidacy for presidency: “When the door for presidential nominations opens, I intend to nominate myself”8. The National Association for Change (NAC) began its existence as a broad opposition coalition pushing for pro-democracy constitutional reforms. It was created in 2010 by Mohammed El Baradei and a close group of supporters who identified with the renewed call for democratic reforms that his return has prompted. Almost all opposition groups and movements were represented at the inaugural meeting (and the subsequent establishment of the NAC), except the New Wafd, Nasserist, and Tagammu’ parties.

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh Presidential Campaign

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh is a medical doctor and secretary- general of the Arab Doctors' Union. He was a Muslim Brotherhood member and a major figure in the group's reformist trend. Upon announcing his candidacy for Egypt's presidential elections he was dismissed from the Muslim Brotherhood for defiance of the organisation's decision not to field candidates for the upcoming presidential elections9. He is said to be in favor of a stronger relationship with the West and to support the rights of women and religious minorities10.

Mohamed Selim al-Awa Presidential Campaign

Mohamed Selim al-Awa is an Islamic thinker, widely considered to belong to the moderate Islamic democratic strain. He is the former Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars based in London, and head of the Egyptian Association for Culture and Dialogue. Awa got involved in several public activities and debates as part of a long process of research into the meaning of state in the Islamic political thought. He authored several books tackling how to reform Islamic thought and institutions11. According to his campaigners al-Awa has decided to run in the presidential elections in response to requests from his supporters12.

8 El Baradei to Run for Egypt’s Presidency, New York Times, information retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/world/africa/10egypt.html; 9 Leading Muslim Brotherhood reformer to run for president, in defiance of leadership, Ahramonline, information retrieved from: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/14578/Egypt/Politics- /Leading-Muslim-Brotherhood-reformer-to-run-for-pre.aspx; 10 Egypt: Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, Muslim Brotherhood leader, will run for president, Global Post, information retrieved from: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle- east/egypt/110512/abdel-moneim-aboul-fotouh-muslim-brotherhood-president; 11 Leading figures in Egyptian presidential candidates, Lankamuslim.com; 12 Almasryalyoum, english edition, information retrieved from: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/468110;