Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    Egypt will keep pushing for Gaza peace, aid: PM    Remittances from Egyptians abroad surge 70% YoY in July–May: CBE    Sudan's ambassador to Egypt holds reconstruction talks on with Arab League    Egypt's current account gap narrows, but overall BoP records deficit    Al-Sisi urges accelerated oil, gas discoveries, lower import bill    SCZONE signs $52.6m textile industry deals during China investment tour    Egypt hosts international neurosurgery conference to drive medical innovation    Egypt's EDA discusses Johnson & Johnson's plans to expand investment in local pharmaceutical sector    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi calls for boosting oil & gas investment to ease import burden    EGX to close Thursday for July 23 Revolution holiday    Egypt, Senegal sign pharma MoU to unify regulatory standards    Famine kills more Gaza children as Israel tightens siege amid global outrage    Kuwait's Crown Prince, Egyptian minister discuss strengthening cooperation    Egyptian Drug Authority discusses plans for joint pharmaceutical plant in Zambia    Egypt's FM seeks deeper economic, security ties on five-nation West Africa tour    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt foils terrorist plot, kills two militants linked to Hasm group    Giza Pyramids' interior lighting updated with new LED system    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Competition and alliances for elections' runoff
FEP, FNP and Al-Nour parties face independent candidates
Published in Daily News Egypt on 26 - 10 - 2015

Egypt's parliamentary elections entered its second round in the first 14 governorates of Giza, Fayoum, Assiut, Luxor, Minya, Sohag, Beheira, Alexandria, Matruh, Red Sea, New Valley, Qena, Beni Suef and Aswan.

Besides the large number of independents' in the runoff elections, political parties also managed to make it in a number of constituencies. Amid the retreat of Al-Wafd Party in many governorates, the Free Egyptians Party (FEP) and Future of a Nation Party (FNP) were able to advance and are often close in candidates' numbers.
According to Emad Raouf, FEP's political bureau member, the party is competing in several constituencies against 15 members of FNP and another 15 candidates of Al-Wafd Party.
"The main competitors now are those three and Al-Nour Party," Raouf told Daily News Egypt on Monday. "We are competing against the latter in Alexandria and Beheira, and with the rest in Upper Egypt, but there are some alliances formed on the local level."
Raouf stated that FEP is coordinating with Future of a Nation in some constituencies, but "strongly competing against it" In others. FEP is strongly present in Assiut, Aswan, Luxor, Sohag, Giza and Minya. They are not in Fayoum as they "had little chances there", according to Raouf.
Similarly, Ashraf Rashad, Secretary-General of Future of a Nation, confirmed allying with FEP and others. "This depends on how we are doing in each constituency. Accordingly, we coordinate with political parties or independents," Rashad told Daily News Egypt.

FNP is mostly present in Qena, Minya, Beni Suef and Giza, and also in cancelled constituencies in Alexandria and Beni Suef.
"We are not really worried about competition because we believe that making it to the runoff with such numbers is satisfactory," Rashad said.
Most importantly, in Alexandria and Beheira, FNP is facing Al-Nour Party. Despite Al-Nour's loss in the lists, party members are still competing for individual seats in half of the governorates only, particularly focused in Fayoum with six candidates where it is competing with three others from Al-Wafd Party, two candidates from ‘Future of a Nation,' all of them competing against 23 independent candidates.
One hotspot for Al-Nour Party is Al-Amreya constituency in Alexandria where six candidates are competing for three seats. The highest percentage of votes went to independent candidate Rizk Ragheb with 45.9%.

However, Al-Nour Party has three candidates in the three consecutive following ranks as the second in position Ahmed Khairallah obtained 40.5%.

"FEP's only candidate there automatically formed a coalition with the remaining two independents for mutual endorsement, against Al-Nour Party," said Raouf.

In the rest of Alexandria, FNP has five candidates and FEP has four, and Al-Nour Party also has four candidates. Al-Nour has the most candidates after independents in Beheira, equal to Al-Wafd, FEP and FNP all together.

Rashad said FNP put efforts into communicating more with voters, explaining their programme and on top of all "reinforcing the idea of a civil party away from religious fascism," he added.

Other less known political parties have made it with less candidates to runoff elections such as the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), the Republican People Party, Al-Sarh Al-Masry Al-Hor, the Democratic Peace Party, the Freedom Party, the Conference Party and the National Movement Party.

The first round took place on 18 and 19 October, but results issued by the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) were appealed by candidates before courts, revealing several procedural and technical errors such as ineligible candidates who acquired votes that would affect final results.
Women are almost absent from individual seats, especially in Upper Egypt governorates, while maintaining little presence (five candidates) in Giza. They were included more on the closed lists, where "For the Love of Egypt" won 60 seats.
On another note, the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) announced that electoral results will be cancelled in four constituencies, upon court orders, and it is required to set new dates for the process to start over. Those include the constituencies of Beni Suef Centre and Wasta in Beni Suef, Al-Raml constituency in Alexandria and Damanhour constituency in Beheira.


Clic here to read the story from its source.