CAIRO: Candidates from the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) comprise 45 percent of the electoral list of Egypt's Democratic Alliance, according to sources from the alliance. The FJP's percentage increased from 35 to 45 percent after the liberal al-Wafd Party withdrew from the coalition, opting to run for election on its own. Representatives from all of the alliance's parties agreed to the increase, according to the sources. Other parties' percentages of the list also increased as a result of al-Wafd's withdrawal. The percentages of the Labor, al-Karama, Nasserite, and al-Ghad parties increased from 5 to 7 percent, while the representation of small parties will be between 1-2 percent. Other parties are fielding only 5-10 candidates. The alliance is aiming to get the Modern Egypt Party to join the alliance as well, which would add another 150 candidates, according to the sources. Meanwhile, Labor Party leader Magdi Qarqar said the alliance will exclude some small parties from nomination on its list because of their relations with figures of Egypt's formerly ruling regime. Upcoming People's Assembly elections, slated to begin November 28, will be Egypt's first election after a popular revolution toppled the country's 30-year leader and his regime earlier this year. Elections for the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament, are scheduled for March 2012. A date for presidential elections has not been set.
