CAIRO: The political parties committee approved Monday the establishment of the nationalist Al-Karama party and the Salafi Al-Asala party after fulfilling legal and organizational requirements to secure official recognition. The two parties, both members of the Democratic Alliance, said they are now preparing for the elections and opening new headquarters in governorates. "After our legal recognition, we will now collect membership applications and will be able to contest all elections in official party lists," said Mohamed Bayoumi, general coordinator of Al-Karama. The party is set to field 100 candidates in the upcoming legislative elections and expand their 30 headquarters across Egypt. Al-Karama, established by presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabahi, had applied four times to the Political Parties Affairs Committee since 1997 but was denied approval on the pretext that its program offered nothing new. The party then decided to present its papers supported by 6,000 proxies and is set to undergo major restructuring. "We decided in the party's general conference in 2006 not to wait for the committee's approval and start operating normally; but now as we have the official approval, our status is stronger and can attract more members," Bayoumi said. The party will launch a reconciliation initiative between national powers after Eid and will focus on alleviating poverty and achieving social justice, he said. "Some political currents are refusing any alliance with the Islamist stream; we need at least to have coordination because unity is necessary in the transitional period," he added. Adel Afify, founder of Al-Asala, said that his party is a constitutional party that believes in the rule of law and aims to protect the Arab, Islamic identity of society. "We are ready to engage in dialogues with everyone and focus on what is common between us to reach what is best for Egypt," he said. Afify said the party adopts an economic reform program and is planning to contest the elections as part of the Democratic Alliance coalition. The party received the support of prominent Salafi scholars like Mohamed Hassaan and is calling for the application of sharia "rulings" as the main source of legislation rather than merely applying sharia principles. Earlier last week, the committee approved Al-Ittihad Party established by former National Democratic Party secretary general Hossam Badrawi. The party calls for civil state and the rule of law and adopts a liberal economic program.
