The union of two political groups is setting the stage for a showdown in upcoming parliamentary elections between a new alliance and a rival secular bloc made up of Mubarak-era officials. The new alliance is led by the Wafd Party, informally headed by Hamdeen Sabahi, and is expected to include the Civilian Democratic Current. The Civilian Democratic Current represents six post-2011 revolution political forces: the Karama Party, Socialist Popular Alliance, Popular Current, Constitution Party, Egypt Freedom Party, and Justice Party. “The formal announcement of a merger between the two is only a matter of time,” Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat, chairman of the Reform and Development Party, told the Weekly. The Reform and Development Party is already a member of the Wafd Party Alliance. He said that a small number of outstanding differences still needs to be hammered out. The Egyptian Wafd Alliance, formally announced on 5 August, includes the Wafd Party, led by businessman Al-Sayed Al-Badawi, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, led by Mohamed Abul-Ghar, the Reform and Development Party, led by Sadat, the Conservative Party, led by oil tycoon Akmal Qortam, and the Awareness Party, led by Ahly Sports Club Chairman Mahmoud Taher. Sadat said it has already been agreed that a committee will be formed to oversee details of the merger. “Alliance members will be free to take independent decisions on their internal structures and party activities,” says Sadat. “In parliament, however, they must remain committed to a mutually agreed political agenda.” Sources say that the negotiations between the Wafd and Sabahi's Democratic Current were difficult but fruitful. Revolutionary political activist George Ishak and Ahmed Al-Boraie, founder of the Constitution Party, led the negotiations with the Wafd. “We focused on the urgent need to create a united front by secular political forces committed to the goals of the 2011 January revolution and 2013 June revolution,” Ishak told the Weekly. “We are opposed to any return to parliament of remnants of the Mubarak and Brotherhood regimes.” Once the outstanding differences are resolved, says Ishak, a document of principles will be signed by all of the alliance's members. “We have two documents at the moment, one drafted by Al-Ahram political analyst Amr Al-Shobaki for the Egyptian Wafd Alliance, the other drafted by political analyst Samir Morcos for the Democratic Current. Our aim is to merge the two into a single election manifesto,” he said. The toughest bargaining is expected to take place over the number and position of names allocated to each party on the alliance's electoral lists. The Egyptian Front had also hoped to be admitted to the Wafd-led alliance. The Front includes the Congress party, founded by Amr Moussa, Misr Baladi Party, led by former interior minister Ahmed Gamaleddin, National Movement, founded by Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, Tagammu, Modern Egypt, Al-Geel and the new Ghad parties. The fact that the Front includes many Mubarak-era officials makes its inclusion in the alliance unlikely, however. Writer Mustafa Bakri, spokesman of the Misr Baladi Party, insists that any merger between the Al-Wafd Alliance and Sabahi's Democratic Current does not mean that Al-Wafd has closed the door on the possibility of bringing the Egyptian Front into the ranks of its secular electoral alliance. “Negotiations are continuing and there are plans to hold a meeting which will be attended by Amr Moussa,” said Bakri. “The Egyptian Front is well aware that Sabahi's Democratic Current rejects any coordination with us, and that it wants its anticipated coalition with the Wafd to be mainly directed against what it calls NDP diehards,” Bakri continued. “But we still hold out hope that secular forces will come to realise, before it is too late, that they have one enemy and it is the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies. There is no chance of the new parliament being dominated by former NDP officials.” Bakri rejects any characterization of the Egyptian Front is a forum for Mubarak-era politicians. “Yes, it includes some people who served as NDP officials, but none of them have ever been convicted of corruption or any other crime, and they are all committed to steering Egypt to secure shores,” he said. Bakri claimed that a number of small political parties are hoping to join an Egyptian Front alliance. “They include the Arab Nasserist Democratic Party, the Constitutional Liberal Party, the Egyptian Intimaa (Belonging) Party and the Revolution party,” Bakri said. “We will be happy to coordinate with any party that is committed to a secular state and opposed to the return of the Muslim Brotherhood in any form.” Egypt's new election law specifies that 120 seats (20 per cent) in the new parliament must be allocated to party-based candidates, 420 seats (75 per cent) to independents, and 57 seats (five per cent) to presidential appointees.
