The founders of a party established by Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei announced Sunday they decided rename it Constitution Party.
The party was first named the People’s Revolution Party, but it had to be changed after another existing party had the same name.
The party formed a four-member committee of constitutional law professor Hossam Eissa, diplomat Shokry Fouad, writer Alaa al-Aswany and activist George Ishaq to manage the party’s affairs until it is officially registered.
A statement issued by ElBaradei’s party on Sunday said the co-founders include ElBaradei, diplomat Sayed Qassem al-Masry, activist Ahmed Harara and rights activist Ragia Emran.
The founders of the party will hold a conference next week to announce that they will start to collect powers of attorney to register the party, the statement said.
Sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that several parties have offered to merge with the new party, including the Gabha Party.
At a meeting at El Sawy Culture Wheel on Saturday, ElBaradei said around five prominent parties want to merge with the new party, which he said will be moderate, democratic, patriotic and open to all Egyptians.
He said he sees the party as a political power that will be able to assume the country’s leadership in four years by lending opportunity to the youth who ignited the revolution.
At the party’s founding committee meeting Saturday, ElBaradei said it aims to reach ordinary citizens and achieve their dreams for the country’s progress.
ElBaradei expressed his disappointment at what he called “the complete deviation from the 25 January revolution’s goals.”
Egyptians “made a great revolution; however, there was a complete deviation from it because of bad faith and ignorance,” ElBaradei said. He said he hopes the party will gain 5 million members to become an influential power.
“Our message should be clear. We should be considered credible by Egyptians,” he added.
Mohamed Yossry, former spokesperson of the Salafi-oriented Nour Party, described ElBaradei’s new party as “a real gathering of national forces.”
The party includes prominent members such as kidney transplant pioneer Mohamed Ghonim, former manpower minister Ahmed Hassan al-Borai, journalist Wael Qandil, former telecommunications minister Hazem Abdel Azim and media professional Gameela Ismail. Qandil is the party’s spokesperson.
ElBaradei announced the formation of the party earlier in April after growing demands to unite all revolutionary forces and figures in one party.
After the January 2011 uprising, ElBaradei’s name circulated as a presidential hopeful. But in February, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race due to the absence of a democratic atmosphere in which to hold elections.
Translated from MENA
