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The first test of the NDP's recommendations…and the Committee for Party Political Affairs refuses the formation of two parties
5/10/2004
The Committee for Party Political Affairs' has refused the registration of the Centre (wasat) and Dignity (karama) Parties on the basis of Law 40 [1977] on Political Parties. EOHR condemns this decision and calls for the abolishment of the Committee which constitutes a major restriction on party political life in Egypt.
The Egyptian government has not been content just to refuse the registration of the Centre Party. In 1999 Abu el Alaa Mady, deputy founder of the Party and director of the International Centre for Studies was arrested and tried in a military court on charges of fraud and attempting to gain authorisation for the founding of a party acting as a front for the banned Muslim Brotherhood. In 1999 he again submitted a registration application for the Party under the name "the Egyptian Centre Party." Last May he presented another request to the Committee under the name "the New Centre Party," which was also refused. The Dignity Party has twice presented a request for registration, the first time under the name "the Dignity Movement" and then under the name "the Arab Dignity Party." Both applications were refused by the Committee.
These refusals come only a few days after the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) conference convened under the title "new thought and priorities for reform." During the conference it was suggested that amendments be made to the Political Parties Law, and that membership of the Committee for Party Political Affairs be widened to encompass public personalities. The Committee's latest refusal confirms that it has a policy of refusing the registration of any new political party. The Committee, which approves or refuses the formation of new political parties, is largely composed of NDP members rendering the NDP both the ruler and the opponent at the same time. EOHR demands the abolition of the Committee and annulment of the "distinguishing feature" clause contained in Law 40, a prerequisite for the formation of any new political party. Where it refuses to abolish this requirement it must at least clarify the meaning of "distinguishing feature."
The Committee has refused the founding of a total of 63 parties. The majority of applications were refused because the party's manifesto was not sufficiently different from existing parties. The Committee froze the activities of seven out of a total of seventeen parties. Of the seventeen, ten parties were formed following a court verdict, three were formed in 1977 and four were authorised by the Committee.
EOHR repeats its call for freedom of political party formation under normal supervision according to the provisions of the Constitution. This can only be realised through the annulment of Law 40 which renders political participation and the right to form political parties rights which exist on paper only - despite their being guaranteed by the Constitution. Party political formation must require notification rather than permission.
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