CAIRO: Egypt's liberal powers are attempting to mobilize ahead of the second round of parliamentary elections, in the wake of a massive Islamist showing in the first round. Liberal powers are aiming to win a majority in the second round of elections for the People's Assembly, scheduled for next week with runoffs the week after. Liberal groups began coordinating for this week's runoff elections, as seen by the Egyptian Bloc's support of al-Adl Party founder Mustafa al-Nagar and Mahmoud al-Khodairy. The liberal powers met today, Wednesday, to discuss means of coordination amongst themselves during the second round of elections, according to Ihab al-Kharrat, a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party's council. "The candidates who run for individual seats will be determined and be supported by the Egyptian Bloc, which includes liberal Egyptians, al-Tagammu Party and Egyptian social democratic parties," Kharrat told Youm7. Youm7 learned that the Egyptian bloc will also support some of the January 25 Revolution's young candidates and Amr al-Shoubky, another al-Adl candidate. Regarding the question of whether the majority group in parliament will form the government, Kharrat said only Egypt's ruling military council can establish a government during the current transitional period. There is no constitution in place to allow otherwise, he said. Kharrat added that he would prefer a mixed parliamentary and presidential system for Egypt. Al-Adl Party will intensify its electoral campaigns during the second stage of elections, according to Abdel Moneim Imam, a member of the party's political office. He said lack of finances and religious polarization were the main reasons behind the failure of most new parties to win seats in the first round of elections. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist al-Nour Party garnered roughly 70 percent of the seats in the first round of elections. Liberal powers won only a handful of seats.
