CAIRO - The recent public uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down as president has opened the way for the emergence of several political powers. They share their influence in the streets and homes of the nation almost equally. In spite of this, some of these powers have potentials that many expect to manifest in the near future as the political system is opening even further. The Egyptian Gazette offers its readers brief notes on the changing political scene to make them familiar with Egypt's emerging political map. The Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie is the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the major powers among political Islamic movements. It has prestige and political credit since its creation by Hassan el-Banna in 1928. The movement was officially banned since 1954. The leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were released from jail during Anwar el-Sadat's presidency (1970-1981) and participated in parliamentary life as independents. They boycotted the 1990 elections, but took part in 1995, winning a seat, and then 17 seats in 2000 and 88 in 2005. In the heavily rigged 2010 polls, they won a single seat. January 25 aftermath: Muslim Brotherhood leaders are seeking to form a political party named 'Freedom and Equality'. Mohamed Saad el-Katatny will be its representative. The party has however not yet disclosed its attitude about the nomination of women or Christians in future presidential elections. The fundamentalists There are many leaders in this movement, as there are differences about the collective work among them. Although they don't have a clear leadership, there are prominent figures like Sheikh Mohamed Hassan, Mohamed Hussein and Abu Eshaq el-Hawainy. The fundamentalists have no previous political activities or experiences; they believe they should focus on preaching Islam. January 25 aftermath: The fundamentalists took part in the revolution and their leaders streamed into Al Tahrir Square. A fundamentalist group known as Ansar el-Sunnah (supporters of the Prophet Tradition) expressed hope that they would be allowed to preach Islam freely. The nascent Al-Wasat: Ahmed Abul Ezz Madi is the chief of this party that was established in 1995 by a breakaway group from the Muslim Brotherhood. The founder left the party and it went through many different stages. In1996, it got rejected by the Parties Affairs' Committee. January 25 aftermath: A recent court ruling was deemed as one of the revolution's victories, declaring Al-Wasat (moderate) officially as a political party. It is the first political party to be approved in post-Mubarak era. The Progressive Unionist (Al-Tagammu) Party The leftist Tagammu Party, founded by Khaled Mohieddin in late 1970s, is seen as one of the most prominent parties in Egypt since its creation after the Communist Federation was abolished. This party took part in parliamentary elections and won five seats in 2010 when most opposition parties boycotted the polls. January 25 aftermath: Tagammu has joined the political and national coalition that was formed after the revolution, calling for Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq's resignation. (Shafiq resigned on March 3 after a heated televised debate on the previous night that lasted several hours.) The Egyptian Communist Party It was established in 1922 and has worked as a clandestine party until now. January 25 aftermath: Some members of the Egyptian Communist Party seek to form a leftist party and are in talks with other leftist movements. The Nasserist Party It is the official party representing the national Nasserist trend in Egypt. Historically speaking, its leadership is represented by Ahmed Diaa el-Din Dawood. He fell ill and resigned, leaving the party to its Secretary-General Ahmed Hassan and Deputy Chairman Sameh Ashour. It has recently been locked in wrangling over leadership. This party took part in many parliamentary elections, but often failed to win seat. January 25 aftermath: This party also participated in the January 25 revolution. Al-Karama Party A national party that is still in the process of being recognised, as it was not approved by the Party Committee of the Shura Council (the Upper House of Parliament). Its founder Hamden Sabahy ran in the 2000, 2005 and 2010 elections. He is a potential presidential candidate. January 25 aftermath: This party has been inactive for some time and is now seeking for a licence to be a legal political party. Al-Wafd Party It is the oldest liberal party, established in 1918 by the leading nationalist Saad Zaghlul, and it was the majority party before the 1952 July Revolution. Al-Wafd resumed its activities during el-Sadat's presidency, as he allowed a multi-party system. In 1978, it changed its name to New Al-Wafd Party while under the leadership of Foaad Serag el-Din. Presently, el-Sayed el-Badawy is its leader. The party took part in many parliamentary elections since 1984, but it boycotted the second round of the 2010 polls and suspended the membership of its winning members. January 25 aftermath: Al-Wafd is part of the political coalition formed after the revolution. The Democratic Front Party A liberal party formed in 1996, it included NDP independents like Osama el-Ghazaly and other liberals. The party did not participate in elections and boycotted the 2010 polls for fear of fraud. January 25 aftermath: The party is planning to expand and participate in future elections. The Tomorrow (Al-Ghad) Party It was established in 2004 by Ayman Nour who ran in the 2005 presidential election. Nour trailed a distant second to Mubarak in terms of votes. But the party was split up, following the imprisonment of Ayman Nour, who was charged with forging signatures to register Al-Ghad. January 25 aftermath: The party is re-defining and arranging itself in preparation for the next phase. Nour is a potential presidential contender. The National Democratic Party It was established by president Anwar el-Sadat in the late 1970s and after his assassination was led by Hosni Mubarak who monopolised Egypt's political life for 30 years. January 25 aftermath: The headquarters of the NDP were set on fire and gutted during the protests of the revolution. Prior to Mubarak's resignation, the party leaders stepped down and many members quit. The future of the NDP is unclear.
