The Free Egyptians Party’s decision to boycott Shura Council elections has caused a rift among members of the Egyptian Bloc, which includes the Tagammu Party and the Social Democratic Party. The Shura Council is Egypt’s upper house of parliament. Despite the decision, Tagammu has pledged to compete in the elections, while the Social Democrats remain undecided.
The Free Egyptians attributed its boycott to a "lack of seriousness in addressing violations committed so far during parliamentary elections, which have impacted the results of the vote."
The party has not left the Egyptian Bloc, however, and its decision does not mean that other bloc members will boycott the elections, the Free Egyptians said in statement on Monday.
Tagammu Party spokesperson, Nabil Zaki, told al-Masry al-Youm on Tuesday that his party would continue supporting its candidates for the coming elections
“The decision made by one party does not necessarily represent all parties in the Egyptian Bloc,” Zaki added.
Tagammu has decided not to boycott because it hopes to be represented in the constituent assembly, which the parliament will task to draft the new constitution.
Ehab al-Kharatt, a member of the political office of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said his party will make a final decision at a later date on whether to participate.
