Former Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri is in talks with various political parties to form a unified electoral front for the upcoming parliamentary elections that are yet to be scheduled, according to Al-Masry Al-Youm sources.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said Ganzouri had met three times with senior members at the liberal Free Egyptians Party, the latest of which was with party founder Naguib Sawiris, the telecommuncation and construction mogul. Ganzouri also reportedly offered to enroll ten party members on his anticipated list.
The sources added that Ganzouri is currently in talks with the Egyptian Front and the Democratic Current, engaging into contacts with former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and former manpower minister Ahmed al-Boraie. He asked them to suggest the names of ten candidates from each coalitions to join his slate, the sources added.
The same sources said the Free Egyptians Party rejected the seat-sharing principle and told Ganzouri they prefer competition for 100 individual seats rather than list-based nominations.
Ganzouri had explained his talks aim at forming a unified liberal front, stressing he was not going to run the elections or vie for the parliamentary speaker seat.
The party said it will nominate five second-tier members on Ganzoury’s list once the law demarcating constituencies is issued.
Ganzouri led the Egyptian government under Hosni Mubarak from 1996 to 1999, and returned to the post after the 2011 revolution under the rule of the military council from December 2011 to June 2012.
Egypt has yet to set a date for the first parliament elections that follow the removal of former president Mohamed Morsy and the induction of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The 2014 Constitution, enforced in January, stipulated the parliamentary elections be held before the presidential elections, both within six months after the document goes into force.
Despite the fact that not date has been set for parliamentary elections, Sisi still reiterated his commitment to the roadmap and the constitution, vowing that the elections would be held before the end of 2014.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
