Egypt’s right-of-center Wafd party announced late Sunday that they would not join the Support Egypt bloc, a parliamentary group that hopes to gain parliamentary majority and push the agenda of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

The decision was announced following a Wafd board meeting. The party, which also stresses its support for El-Sisi’s policies, said they would not join any parliamentary bloc.

The Wafd party won 45 parliamentary seats in the elections held in October and December.

The Support Egypt bloc is headed by former intelligence officer Sameh Saif El-Yazel.

Members in the bloc claim they have recruited over 400 parliamentarians. However, the current number of members has not been verified.

In recent days, a number of political parties said they would not join the bloc.

The Future of a Homeland party, which backs El-Sisi and has 50 party-based seats, the second highest number in the parliament, said on Sunday that they withdrew from the Support Egypt bloc.

The liberal Free Egyptians Party, which has the largest number of seats with 65 members, also said they would not be part of the bloc, claiming the bloc has no clear purpose.

A member of the Free Egyptians Party who joined the bloc was suspended from the party on Sunday and referred to an internal investigation.

Egypt's parliament is expected to be sworn in by the end of December, and will be composed of the highest number of MPs in the country’s 150-year parliamentary history.

The MPS are divided into 448 independents, 120 party-based deputies, and 28 presidential appointees.

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