Two electoral alliances containing Mubarak-era politicians will join hands to contest the upcoming parliamentary poll. Yehia Qadri, vice president of the National Movement party, founded by Mubarak-era aviation minister Ahmed Shafiq, told Ahram Online that the Egyptian Front coalition – of which it is a member – and an alliance formed by Mubarak-era minister Kamal El-Ganzouri, will field candidates on a single party list at the next election. Egypt's parliamentary elections law states 21 percent of seats (120) will be elected via party lists. A source close to El-Ganzouri had told Ahram Online that his group, which remains unnamed, will only contest party-list seats. The Egyptian Front coalition also includes established leftist and liberal parties – like Tagamoa and Ghad – as well as the lesser known Modern Egypt and Egypt My Country parties, whose spokesman is prominent journalist and ex-MP Mostafa Bakri. The Conference party, led by Mubarak-era minister Amr Moussa, is also in the Egyptian Front coalition. No exact date has been set for the parliamentary election, which President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has said will take place before March. The election is still pending the finalisation of a law which will redraw the country's electoral constituencies – the result of which will have a big influence on the poll. A preliminary draft of the law was approved by the cabinet this week. The Egyptian Front met with Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab on Tuesday and proposed amendments of the law. Qadri told Ahram Online that the meeting was called by Mahlab who wanted to "know the opinion of the party regarding the election." Source : Ahram online
