Opposition leaders display plans for running in Egypt’s House of Representatives elections

CAIRO – 11 October 2020: Leaders of opposition parties spoke to Extra News Sunday on their reasons for putting forward candidates on the National List for Egypt encompassing 12 parties and the Coordination of Parties' Youth and Politicians.

Chairman of Reform and Development Party Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat stated that the opposition parties are not able to form lists that can compete with the pro-government parties. Hence, they decided to ally with them on one list, particularly that they offer a good representation of women, youth, and disabled.

Sadat added that the opposition parties, including his, were neither forced to nominate or discard any candidates nor obliged to pay any donations to any entity.

Chairperson of Al Adl Party Abdel Moneim Imam described the scene as unprecedented adding: "This is the first time we witness a massive coalition encompassing a large number of leftist parties, pro-government parties, and opposition parties. It's an electoral coalition, and not a political one as it will end once the elections are over. The main goal of the list is representing all political segments and the presence of all views in the parliament."

Imam pointed out that opposition parties have shares in the list, and candidates who are running individually for seats. He added that the past years proved that the number of members belonging to certain parties does not matter, and that what matters the most is the influence of members and the degree to which they express citizens' hopes.

Chairperson of the Egyptian Democratic Party Farid Zahran said he wishes the number of parties – particularly opposition ones - represented on the list were more. Yet, he views the list as still balanced and reflecting reasonable diversity.

The number of individual candidates running for seats in the House of Representatives is 3,964. Eight parties’ lists were accepted to run in the parliamentary elections, which is set to kick off on October 21, the National Elections Authority (NEA) announced late in September, before the 68 withdrawals.

The NEA called on those who want to run for the elections to register their data as of September 17 till September 26.

Two lists in Cairo, and south and center Delta were accepted including: The National Unified List for Egypt, and Call of Egypt electoral alliance (in Arabic Nedaa Masr Coalition). Both lists were also accepted in Northern, center and southern Upper Egypt, and eastern Delta. While in western Delta sector the National Unified List for Egypt and Children of Egypt list were accepted.

According to the elections schedule, electioneering propaganda will begin as of October 5 and until October 18 for the governorates of the first phase, followed by elections silence. The same happens for the governorates of the second phase, as the propaganda starts on October 18 and ends on November 1.

The authority set L.E.500,000 as publicity limit for each individual candidate, and in case of run-off, the limit goes down to L.E.200,000. While for the 42-seat parties, the publicity limit is L.E.2.5 million, and in case of run-off, the limit will be L.E.1 million, and for the 100-seat parties, the limit goes to L.E.5 million, and in case of run-off, it will be L.E.2 million.