The leftist Tagammu Party has decided to partake in the parliamentary elections slated for November and plans to run 74 candidates in 12 provinces. A Saturday meeting led by the party's general secretariat prioritized continuity in pressing for electoral transparency safeguards. Party members stressed that minimum assurances for a free and fair vote have yet to be achieved. Tagammus chairman Refaat al-Saeed in a press conference that followed the meeting said his party seeks elections free from flaws, extravagant spending and administrative intervention. Those improprieties will blemish the whole process, al-Saeed said. The chairman pointed to incipient, ominous signs of electoral irregularities. He contended that while the ruling national Democratic Party (NDP) has not yet to decide its slate of candidates, governors have expressed their support for NDP victories. He called upon media outlets to ensure equality in covering the electoral campaigns--something the NDP itself has pressed for. “State-run papers depict the electoral quest as occurring exclusively between NDP tycoons, and opposition figures are not referred to but negatively,” al-Saeed argued. Al-Saeed denied any secret deal was struck between Tagammu and the NDP. “We will not give anything in return for parliament seats,” he said. Al-Saeed said coordination with al-Wafd Party is possible. He suggested al-Wafd candidates abandon their campaigns in areas where Tagumma enjoys strong popularity, thus, enabling the most formidable challenge to NDP candidates. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
