Several chairpersons from Egypt’s main opposition parties expressed their displeasure with statements made by Ahmad Fathi Sorour president of the People’s Assembly, during a meeting of the Youth Parliament on Wednesday. During the meeting, he said, “I feel like there are only three opposition parties, the Wafd, Tagamaa and the Nasserist parties,” adding that, “The others are completley silent and we hear nothing about them except on special occasions.”
Chairperson of the Democratic Front Party Osama el-Ghazali Harb responded, “I believe that Doctor Sorour’s opinion of the political and party life in Egypt was correct five years ago, but real and serious parties have appeared on the political scene since then, most prominently the Democratic Front.”
Chairperson of the Free Constitution Party Mamdouh Qanawi also commented on Sorour’s remarks, saying, “The Wafd, Tagamaa and Nasserist parties are historical parties with no real presence to speak of currently.” He added that the parties had no “impact on citizens at the street level.”
Sorour’s statements are at odds with the truth, said Ihab el-Kholi, chairman of the Ghad Party.
Meanwhile, Fouzi Ghazal, chairperson of the Egypt 2000 Party said he is considering bringing a lawsuit against Sorour, claiming that it was not appropriate for him to make such remarks.
The three parties mentioned by Sorour are outmoded and dictatorial, said Alaa Abdel Azim, general secretary of the Republican Party. He considers Sorour’s statements to be a preliminary step aimed at preparing public opinion for the acceptance of a future deal between the government and these parties.
Sorour’s remarks fall in the same framework as demands made by representatives from the National Democratic Party, who recently called for the government to instigate violence against the people and to shoot demonstrators, said Ahmad Gabili, chairperson of the People’s Party.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
