CAIRO - Several political parties seem on the verge of packing up and withdrawing in humiliation from the political street, because of the fallout of the youth uprising on January 25, which forced President Mubarak and his entourage to pack up too. Unable to resist the increasing pressure, with its epicentre in Al Tahrir Square, the former President threw in the towel after 30 years in power. Hours after Mubarak's departure, the National Democratic Party collapsed when many of its super-heavyweights abandoned the sinking ship. The former ruling party's headquarters in different governorates were ransacked and torched, while many other political parties also collapsed immediately after the demise of the ruling party, which had provided them with grandmotherly protection. The Committee of Party Affairs was chaired by NDP Secretary-General Safwat el-Sherif, who was also Speaker of the Shura Council (Upper House of Egypt's bicameral Parliament). There are around 24 political parties in Egypt, but, apart from the NDP, only three or four parties used to be vibrant and active, including the opposition parties of Al-Wafd, Al-Ghad and the leftist Al-Tagammu (Unionist Progressive) Party. The many opposition parties used to act as a buffer for the ruling party, entertaining curious voters and completing the jigsaw of political life in the country. An expert in Al-Ahram Centre for Political Studies predicts that the former ruling party will not survive, while the people running it are desperately trying to give it the kiss of life. Amr Hashem Rabie told Al-Shorouk independent newspaper that the NDP will, sooner or later, descend into oblivion. Other experts, in their analysis of the post-Revolution political street in Egypt, don't believe that all the opposition parties will be destroyed in the 'earthquake' that has rocked the country. They are confident that opposition parties like Al-Wafd, Al-Tagammu and Al-Nassri have the potential to rise from the ashes and gain a strong foothold in the political street. “These parties will become more popular than they were before,” says one political expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, explaining that parties like Al-Wafd and Al-Tagammu will successfully exploit the post-Revolution political vacuum. “This will be apparent in the forthcoming parliamentary elections,” he predicts, urging the different parties to inject new blood into their veins if they want to survive and compete strongly in future elections. “Taking into consideration the turbulence in the political street after the Revolution, the political parties, which were denied [by the former ruling party] now have the opportunity to impress the voters. They should seize this opportunity to convince the voters to change their minds,” he stresses.
