On 10 February, the Political Parties Committee announced that it had voted in favour of licensing the National Front Party and the Awareness Party.
The path is now clear for the two parties to contest November’s parliamentary elections.
The licensing of the parties aligns with Article 5 of the constitution which promotes a multi-party system and the peaceful rotation of power, said the committee.
The Awareness Party, led by former MP Bassel Adel, issued a statement saying that it is a liberal party committed to democracy. According to Adel, the idea to found a new party began two years ago, soon after the opening session of the National Dialogue proposed by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi.
“This explains why the party was initially called the Dialogue Bloc. Later, we changed the name to the Awareness Party,” said Adel.
The party aims to be a force for liberal democracy.
“In Egypt, Islamist forces have always tried to distort the concept of liberalism. As a party, we are here today to show respect and adherence to the principles and values of liberal democracy.”
The party includes academics, political science professors, researchers, technocrats, and others who believe in liberal politics, free competition, free speech, the rule of law, and constitutional principles.
“The party aims to complete the Egyptian modernisation movement that began in the 19th century at the hands of enlightenment leaders such as Refaa Al-Tahtawi, Sheikh Mohamed Abdou, Taha Hussein, Lotfi Al-Sayed, Saad Zaghloul, and others,” explained Adel.
He stressed that the party is keen to be a bastion of free speech and will encourage Egyptians to actively participate in political life and voice their concerns without fear or intimidation. It upholds the legitimacy of both the 25 January and 30 June revolutions and will, Adel insists, contribute effective solutions to Egypt’s problems.
The Awareness Party’s Board of Trustees comprises 20 founding members. They include former MP Margaret Azer, political writer Suzan Harfi, former dean of Cairo University’s Faculty of Economy and Political Science Sherine Al-Shawarbi, Cairo University professor of political science Ghada Moussa, AUC professor of public policy Mohamed Al-Qarmani, TV host Dina Farouk, lawyer Osama Mortada, and former deputy labour minister Ahmed Al-Ghannam.
In November’s parliamentary elections, Adel says the party will field candidates in individual constituencies but will also consider entering into an electoral pact.
“We could take part in an election alliance, and we hope there will be a national list including candidates from major political parties with different ideological backgrounds,” he said.
The founding members of the National Front Party (NFP) were able to gather 5,573 signatures of support from citizens in just two weeks. Article 7 of Egypt’s 2011 political parties law requires prospective parties to gather 5,000 signatures from citizens in at least 10 governorates, with a minimum of 300 signatures from each, to be officially licensed.
Following the party’s licensing, NFP Chairman Assem Al-Gazzar held a series of meetings to draft internal bylaws and form committees that will oversee the drafting of the party’s manifesto and strategy.
According to Al-Gazzar, the party’s goal is to contribute to building a new republic based on social justice, political reform, the rule of law, and respect for human rights under the banner Egypt for All.
“The NFP seeks to offer a transparent, democratic path that aligns with the aspirations of Egyptians for a dignified and prosperous future. It will focus on safeguarding Egypt’s interests, avoid narrow-minded political conflicts and promote stability in a region boiling over with strife.”
Founding member Al-Sayed Al-Qusseir, a former agriculture minister, explained that while the party will “support the state to achieve stability and contribute ideas for reform, it will not hesitate to criticise the government if its policies fail to reflect the aspirations of Egyptians for a more democratic life and social justice.”
Later, he added, “when political life reaches maturity,” the party may seek power.
In the meantime, the NFP intends to field candidates in all constituencies during the upcoming parliamentary election.
“We expect that a combination of individual candidacy and party list systems will be adopted. NFP will field individual candidates and also build broad alliances with existing parties to contest party-list seats,” explained Al-Qusseir.
Former MP and NFP founding member Hatem Pashat said the party’s membership includes former cabinet ministers, governors, officials, current and former MPs and senators, members of the National Dialogue, media professionals and journalists who “command a great deal of popularity and are sure to win seats if they contest the upcoming election”.
“At this stage the party’s focus is on supporting the state in building its institutions and strengthening its role in achieving sustainable development,” said Pashat. “The NFP also aims to mobilise young people to serve their country and gain political experience to be future party leaders.”
Some political analysts point out that the rhetoric used by the Awareness Party and the NFP shows they are pro-regime.
“The founders of these two political parties clearly did not learn the lesson of history — that parties created to support the regime turn out to be cartoonish at the end,” argued former MP Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour.
NFP’s founding members include head of the State Information Service Diaa Rashwan, former minister of investment Sahar Nasr, former speaker of the House of Representatives Ali Abdel-Aal, former minister of agriculture Al-Sayed Al-Qusseir, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and businessman Mohamed Abul-Enein, former minister of youth Taher Abu Zeid and former local development minister Mahmoud Shaarawi.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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