CAIRO: The Supreme Administrative Court accepted on Sunday an appeal by the political parties committee and Al-Ghad Party's president Moussa Mostafa Moussa on a previous ruling that obliged them to recognize Ehab El-Kholy as head of the party. The court, however, also rejected a lawsuit filed by Moussa to recognize him as the president of Al-Ghad, leaving the party, which was founded by Ayman Nour, with no leader. The decision confused lawyers on both sides, who, up to press time were trying to figure out the ruling and its implications on the party. The Administrative Court had issued a verdict last February recognizing Ehab El-Khouly, a Nour supporter, as the head of the Al-Ghad Party. The political parties committee in the Shoura Council then appealed the decision when it recognized the legitimacy of Moussa Mostafa Moussa as head of the party. Commenting on the recent ruling, Nour considered the verdict a small part of his ongoing standoff with the government. “We received four verdicts in our favor from the Administrative Court. The Supreme Administrative Court annulled one of these verdicts today, but we will continue our judicial battle based on these verdicts.” Nour added that he called for convening an emergency general assembly meeting for his party members on July 30 to discuss new methods in dealing with what he described as “the standoff” with the government. As to whether this verdict will affect Nour's plans to run in the next presidential elections, Nour told Daily News Egypt, “I will not retract my decision to run in the coming elections because it's part of the political reform project we adopted.” “We hope we will be able to get court rulings that will allow us to enter the next presidential elections.” Nour was the first runner up in the 2005 presidential race. However, a few months after the elections he was sentenced to a five-year term for allegedly forging powers of attorney needed to start his new party, charges which he claimed were politically motivated. Legally, he is banned from practicing any political activity for five years after he completes his sentence. He was released in early 2009.
