Strong Egypt party, one of the country’s opposition parties, is considering holding its annual meeting in Cairo’s streets after some hotels and public conference rooms shunned them, spokesperson Ahmed Emam told Ahram Online 

Emam said that the party has been planning for a long time to hold its annual meeting that will host 400 members but is continuously being forced to postpone as a result of not being able to find a venue.

"We have reached many hotels, the youth ministry and even Al-Azhar but they have all either refused or not answered our calls," highlighted Emam.

He then explained that some venues refused on the basis of the party not having the required approval of national security while others did not provide specific reasons.

Emam expressed the party’s frustration towards what he called an unacceptable refusal, stressing that "Strong Egypt has a granting license and that the meetings they will hold are legal."

"If we don’t find a suitable place that will host our legal annual party conference, we will hold the meeting in the streets and demand that the interior ministry secure us," said Emam.

Emam also expressed his disappointment with an increasingly restricted political landscape, saying that "if this is the type of environment the government wants, then we can just get rid of all parties and go back to the way things were during the Nasser-era."

The Strong Egypt Party was established in July 2012 by former Muslim Brotherhood member and 2012 presidential candidate, Abdel Moneim Abul-Fotouh. 

On 3 December 2013, the party announced its opposition to the constitution that was voted on in the 2014 constitutional referendum.