The Wafd Party's legal committee on Tuesday began investigating its winning 2010 parliamentary election candidates after they failed to comply with the party's official boycott of the runoff elections. Vice President Fouad Badrawy said the committee recommended dismissing Tarek Sabbak, Atef al-Ashmony and Mohamed al-Malky, and suspending the memberships of Safir Nour and Mosad al-Meligy, winners of the first election round. The committee put off investigating Magda al-Noweishy and Hamada Mansour until Wednesday. In accordance with party's bylaws, the seven winning candidates requested to suspend their party memberships until the end of the parliamentary session. “It was hard to submit such a request because we believe in our party's principles,” said Nour. “But we did it to avoid embarrassing the party.” Al-Ashmony said the committee overstepped its role by requesting the MPs render resignations. Al-Ashmony said that the party's withdrawal from the Shura Council was a mistake. “This move damages the party it if decides to run in next year's presidential elections,” he noted. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
