The Wafd Party's reform movement has launched a campaign entitled “Clean Vote”, which aims to fight bribes on buying votes.
The movement warned voters that a deputy who comes to parliament with bought votes will work for his own benefit, and not for the benefit of the people, in order to retrieve the money he paid.
It also cautioned that selling a vote means selling the future of the country, citing the example of the Muslim Brotherhood who bought votes with money and goods in order to win the parliamentary and presidential elections after the January revolution, then betrayed the people and worked for its own interests.
The party said corruption had spread throughout the country under the disbanded National Democratic Party because there was no parliamentary control to fight the mixing of politics with money, thereby leading to the January revolution.
“We do not need another revolution because this would destroy the country,” the movement said in a statement. “We just need awareness in choosing our deputies.”
Alaa Awad, coordinator for the campaign, said the movement will call on mosques and churches to explain the importance of choosing a clean parliament that can fulfill the hopes of the people.
He also said that he will call for a law that penalizes anyone offering a bribe on behalf of a candidate. He will push for having that person receive the same punishment stipulated for the candidate and the recipient of the bribe.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
