DAKAHLIA, Egypt: Members of Egypt's formerly-ruling National Democratic Party were banned from participating in upcoming elections in one Egyptian governorate by a court ruling today. The Administrative Court in Mansura in the Nile Delta governorate of Dakahlia ruled to exclude any former NDP member from upcoming elections despite the Supreme Electoral Committee's earlier decision to accept any candidate's nomination, even former NDP members. The Mansura court decision was issued by court head Hatem Mohamed Daoud; Emad Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Rahim, deputy director of the council of state; Reda Mohammad Qasim, deputy of state council; Mohammed Abbas Harizi, deputy state council; Ahmed Hassan, the commissioner of state; and Metwally Mohammed Metwally, secretary of the court. The lawyer Mahmoud Hamdy filed a lawsuit for parliamentary candidate al-Said al-Badrawy asking the court to exclude NDP members and former members of the People's Assembly or Shura Council from upcoming elections, slated to begin November 28. The court asked to include the head of Egypt's ruling military council and the SEC head in the lawsuit, which the lawyer did. The court ruled today to cancel the SEC's decision and exclude former NDP members.
