Ahmed Imam, spokesperson for the Strong Egypt party, said on Wednesday that although the party had initially decided not to participate in the upcoming presidential elections, now it has opted to boycott them completely.
“The party had decided earlier not to field a candidate in the elections,” he said. “[but] the atmosphere is not suitable for holding real elections.”
“The interference of the military establishment in politics and the crackdown on the opposition make us believe the elections would not be fair,” he said.
During the constitutional referendum in January, three members of the Strong Egypt Party were arrested in Cairo for distributing leaflets calling on voters to vote against the Constitution. Ahmed Imam, party spokesperson, identified the members as Mohamed Abu Leila, Ahmed Badawy and Sami Ashraf, who were sentenced to three years in prison and fined LE500 each.
The party had initially said that it would vote against the Constitution, but then decided to boycott it when its members were arrested.
The Strong Egypt Party, headed by former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, is known for opposing the return of deposed President Mohamed Morsy as well as the involvment of the army in politics.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
