The new Egyptian constitution of 2014 allowed members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) — the ruling party during the era of former President Hosni Mubarak — to run in any future elections, after the 2012 constitution politically isolated them. However, on May 6, many were surprised when a court ruling prohibited them from running in any elections.

Several legal and constitutional experts contended that the ruling was unconstitutional, and that it was issued by a court that was not competent to examine this type of case.

Political analyst Refaat al-Sayed Ahmad told Al-Monitor, “Even if the NDP’s appeal of the ruling is rejected, they can still push their family members to run for the elections and make use of their popularity to support these candidates.”

In any case, the return of NDP members to political life, whether directly or through family members, has become an inevitable reality. However, their return raises several questions about the underlying reasons for their return, the potential chances for NDP-favored candidates and consequences.