Islamist party to boycott Egyptian parliamentary election
The Islamist Strong Egypt Party has called for a boycott of the 2015 parliamentary elections, but critics say the move will not hurt the legitimacy of the new parliament.
As Egyptians get ready to hit the voting booths for the parliamentary elections on Oct. 17, the Strong Egypt Party has called for a boycott.
The centrist Islamist party announced in an Oct. 14 statement that its call for boycotting the election is a reaction to “the state institutions that are biased toward certain candidates and lists to form a parliament allied with the executive power, by holding mock elections to choose between a supporter and a supporter.”
Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader and one-time presidential candidate, established the party in 2012.
“For any election to be meaningful, there must be a fair rivalry,” Ahmed Emam, the party’s spokesperson, told Al-Monitor. “Security bodies are strongly influencing the political scene and systematically cripple any opposition force that can create a real difference,” he said.
