Egypt's Political Parties' Affairs Committee granted approval for a new political party led by former National Democratic Party (NDP) official Hossam Badrawi. It is the first political party led by an ex-NDP official to receive official approval in post-revolution Egypt. Activists and politicians have fought to ban former NDP politicians from entering into elections this fall. The formerly ruling NDP party won sweeping victories through Mubarak-era vote rigging. Some fear that the formation of the new party, called Itihad (Union), reflects a loss of footing for those who are fighting to keep the NDP out of a new political vision for Egypt. The party was notorious for corruption, election rigging and abuse. Former NDP officials, including former President Hosni Mubarak and his son Gamal Mubarak, are now on trial for various charges. Mubarak appointed Badrawi secretary-general in his final days as president in an attempt to quell the demands of protesters. Badrawi left the post after five days– just a few hours before Mubarak resigned on February 11. Not all agree that Badrawi is a symbol of NDP-era corruption, however. Some argue that Badrawi was a reformer within the NDP, and may be an asset to those seeking to combat the popularity of Islamists in upcoming elections. The government was once strict about the formation of new political parties, but it has recently eased its policies. Political parties now have permission to form and begin work immediately. The committee then has 30 days to disband the party. The committee still bans any parties formed on religious grounds, in a continuation of a Mubarak-era policy. They rejected a bid by Gama'a Islamiyya to create a political party last Monday. The Islamic group took up arms against the state in the 1980's and 1990's, but many of the leaders have since renounced the use of violence. A social media campaign called “White Circle, Black Circle” was created to expose all new political parties led by former-NDP officials. BM
