Egyptian steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz has been barred from running in parliamentary elections, Egypt's Al Ahram reported Sunday. Ezz, who was recently freed from jail over corruption charges following the Jan. 25, 2011 uprising, was barred for failing to provide the necessary documents to the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC). Mohamed Hamouda, Ezz's lawyer told Aswat Masriya that he will appeal Ezz's elimination before the Administrative Court. He had announced his candidacy earlier this month in Menoufia, north of Cairo. Ezz, the former owner of Ezz Steel - Egypt's largest steel manufacturer - was jailed within days after a popular uprising that ousted former longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. The former Mubarak-era regime magnate was widely believed to have engineered widespread fraud during the 2010 parliamentary elections, securing an unprecedented majority for the National Democratic Party of Egypt (NDP) in the chamber. Mubarak was the leader of the NDP. The upcoming parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin in March, with the first phase taking place on March 22 and 23 and the second phase running from April 26 to 27. Source: Al Arabiya News
