On Sunday the Higher Election Committee (HEC) extended the window for parliamentary candidate registration by two days. The original deadline of 2pm today has been cancelled and candidates will be allowed to submit their papers until 7pm on 19 February. HEC spokesperson Omar Marawan says the extension was made necessary after an 11 February ruling by the Higher Administrative Court modified the medical check-ups hopeful candidates must pass. The court ruled that the medical tests candidates are required to undergo can only address their psychological well-being since to bar candidates on the grounds of physical ailments would contravene the law on political rights. As a result the Health Ministry has reduced the cost of the medical check-ups from LE4,200 to LE2,850. More than 7,500 had already applied to undergo the required medical tests and with the two-day extension the HEC predicts that the number will increase. The HEC expects a complete list of candidates to be available by 22 February. Some commentators are already predicting that the registration period will be further extended and the date of the polls postponed. Eleven lawsuits are currently being heard contesting the constitutionality of laws regulating the exercise of political rights, the House of Representatives and electoral districts. The lawsuits, filed with Cairo's Administrative Justice Court, have been referred to the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) for a final judgment. The SCC is obliged to issue a ruling on election laws within 20 days. One of the lawsuits that has been filed argue article 2 of the House of Representatives Law, which sets a lower age limit of 25 for parliamentary candidates, is unconstitutional given the constitution guarantees complete political rights from the age of 18, says professor of political science Gamal Zahran. Others contest that the electoral districts law discriminates against some constituencies by ignoring “the constitutional stipulation that a balance be struck among constituencies in terms of population density and size.” Zahran also argues a case can be made against article 22 of the political rights law on the grounds that it discriminates against party-based candidates. “While the article sets a campaign ceiling of LE500,000 for independent candidates in the first round of voting it sets a much lower level for party-based candidates,” says Zahran. “Lists of 15 party-based candidates are allowed to spend LE1 million, just LE67,000 per candidate.” Zahran also points out that there are discrepancies in the insurance fees the HEC levies on candidates. Independents must each pay LE3,000 while a list of 15 party list candidates is charged LE6,000, or LE400 per candidate. The above three elections, says Marawan, were thoroughly revised by the State Council's Department of Fatwas and Legislation. “The State Council concluded that the three laws are constitutional. And while there is a possibility some articles may eventually be judged to infringe the constitution this will only result in minor delays in the election timetable,” he insists. Sameh Ashour, the Lawyers Syndicate chairman who is seeking to stand as an independent candidate, agrees. “If any article were ruled unconstitutional it could be amended in a short time and pave the way for the polls to be held on schedule,” he says. Of the 4,782 who had successfully registered by 16 February, 3,338 were hoping to stand as independents and 1,444 on party lists, according to said HEC figures. The low number of party-based candidates reflects the fact that secular parties are still debating the possibility of compiling a unified list. The Wafd Party held a meeting on Saturday at which it decided to pursue possible coordination with other secular electoral coalitions. Wafd Chairman Al-Sayed Al-Badawi revealed the party had discussed coordinating with the For the Love of Egypt list, being compiled by Sameh Seif Al-Yazal, a former intelligence officer and chairman of Al-Goumhouria Centre for Political and Strategic Studies. Al-Yazal says he has had contacts with a number of groups, most notably the Wafd and the Free Egyptians Parties, in a bid to coordinate candidates across independent and party-based seats. “Our objective is for secular political parties to join forces at this critical time to ensure they secure a majority in parliament,” says Al-Yazal. “We believe in the ideals of the revolutions of 25 January and 30 June and we want to put these, and the new constitution, into effect.” Other political parties, however, see the For the Love of Egypt list as an attempt to resurrect the list being that was until recently being assembled by Mubarak-era prime minister Kamal Al-Ganzouri. Even Al-Badawi concedes that many Wafd members see the For the Love of Egypt list as an attempt to finish the process started by Al-Ganzouri only to be stymied when political forces complained to Al-Sisi that a national list compiled by such a leading Mubarak-era official “would cast doubts over the integrity of the elections.” Al-Yazal says he has also been in contact with Abdel-Gelil Mustafa who is trying to put list of liberal and leftist progressive candidates. The For the Love of Egypt list has attracted the ire of the Egyptian Front electoral coalition, widely perceived as a gathering of Mubarak-era figures. Yehia Qadri, chairman of the Egyptian National Movement party, a member of the Egyptian Front, says “members of the coalition were surprised by Al-Ganzouri's sudden withdrawal from the political scene, especially after an agreement had already been reached with Al-Ganzouri that 20 public figures from the Egyptian Front would run on his list.” Nagi Al-Shehabi, chairman of the Geel Party, another member of the Egyptian Front Coalition, accused Al-Ganzouri of “deceiving his supporters”. Al-Shahabi believes that Al-Ganzouri bowed to pressure from Al-Sisi to withdraw and pave the way for the For the Love of Egypt list. “It is a change in tactics. The new list wants to give the impression that it includes independent public figures who were never Mubarak regime loyalists.” The only party so far to have announced that it will join forces with the For the Love of Egypt list is the Free Egyptians Party (FEP), founded by businessman Naguib Sawiris. FEP spokesman Wagih Shehab said many of the names on the For the Love of Egypt list were nominated by the party. The majority, he added, are Coptic Christians. For the Love of Egypt candidates includes FEP officials Emad Gad, an Ahram political analyst, and political activist Mona Mounir. Al-Yazal is standing, as are former minister of information and chairman of the Media Production City Osama Heikal, chairman of the Tamarod movement Mahmoud Badr and former spokesperson for April 6 Youth Movement Tarek Al-Khouli. For the Love of Egypt has also attracted several prominent businessmen. They include Alexandrian industrialist Mohamed Farag Amer, businessman Zaki Al-Sweidy, automobile magnate Wagih Abaza and Sahar Talaat Mustafa, sister of the Mubarak-era businessmen Hisham and his brother Tarek Talaat Mustafa. “You cannot say our list enjoys the support of the Al-Sisi regime or that it is simply Al-Ganzouri's list repackaged,” says For the Love of Egypt candidate Hisham Al-Qadi. “My suspicion is candidates perceived as being somehow supported by the regime will find it a liability rather than an advantage. Nor will the state authorities have much room for manoeuvre when it comes to supporting lists given how closely the polls will be observed.” Parliamentary elections will be held in two rounds, beginning on 21 March and ending on 7 May.
