The parties that withdrew from the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL) on Thursday started to form an alliance of their own to include the Al-Watan, Al-Wasat and Strong Egypt parties.
Sources said Mohamed Ali Bishr, Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and Imad Abdel Ghafoor had the idea a month ago and began to hold several meetings in Mokattam.
“We want to bring together the parties that adhere to the principles of the 25 January revolution,” said Al-Watan Party Vice President Yousry Hammad, adding that the party is consulting with other parties that reject the policies of the ruling regime, including non-Islamist parties. “We will not ally with the Salafi Nour Party because it supports the regime.”
“We will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” he said. “But we will continue to call for political freedom and democracy.”
Meanwhile, Amr Emara, coordinator of the Brotherhood Dissidents alliance, said the Brotherhood is aware that the revolutionary forces would not ally with it in its current structure. “That is why they allowed Abul Fotouh to form the new alliance,” he said. “And they will support him in the next presidential elections.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
