The liberal opposition Wafd Party has agreed in principle to host the first session of a proposed "shadow parliament," according to the initiative's spokesman, Alaa Abdel Moneim. Wafd Party Chairman Al-Sayed al-Badaw met with a number of former MPs on Wednesday to discuss the proposal and the proposed parliament's objectives. They also discussed the Wafd Party's offer to host the shadow assembly. Abdel Moneim explained that the party had delayed issuing a final decision on the matter until next week, when it plans to present the idea to members of the party's executive office. At a press conference following the meeting, Abdel Moneim said the shadow parliament was only a temporary solution, intended to serve until the official parliament--which he described as "fraudulent"--could be stripped of legitimacy and a new parliament, more representative of the public, could be elected. At the meeting, attendees agreed on the shadow parliament's basic objectives, which include fostering democracy, civil rights, social justice, and the right to a civil state based on the principles of citizenship, Abdel Moneim said. Abdel Moneim went on to note that no final decisions had yet been made regarding the name or structure of the proposed shadow assembly. "There are a number of suggestions, such as the 'People's Parliament,' the 'Nation's Parliament,' and 'Egypt's Parliament," he said. "The number of members, or how they will be selected, has not yet been decided," he added. "But former MPs and public figures will account for the bulk of it." Regarding recent assertions by Parliamentary Speaker Fathy Surour that members of the shadow parliament would have to answer to Egypt's penal code, Abdel Moneim said, "We reject these threats." Translated from the Arabic Edition.
