Egyptian Bloc
The Egyptian Bloc الكتلة المصرية | |
---|---|
Centre-left[7] | |
Colors | Red, White and Black |
Website | |
http://www.elkotlaelmasreya.com/ | |
The Egyptian Bloc (
Establishment
The 15 groups shared the common vision of Egypt as a "civil democratic state", and feared that in case of an
The establishment of the coalition was publicly announced on 15 August 2011 in Cairo.[9] The assembly's objective is to present a united list of candidates for the parliamentary election, to raise funds and to campaign together. The alliance supports Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's proposal of a "constitutional decree" that could prevent the Islamists from unilaterally amending the constitution or drafting a new one, even in case of winning a parliamentary majority. Analysts see the formation as a "final attempt" of the liberal and secularist camp to cope with the Muslim Brotherhood's advance in Egypt's post-revolutionary political landscape, in respect of organisational structure, profile and publicity.[1]
Platform
The programmatic ambitions of the alliance are to establish Egypt as a modern civil state in which science plays an important role, and to create equality and social justice in the country. The objectives of the Bloc also include to make a decent life possible for the poorer population, including education, health care and proper housing. It advocates a pluralistic, multi-party democracy and rejects religious, racial, and sexual discrimination.[10]
Development
Several leading members of the long-standing
In late October 2011, the
By early November, only the Free Egyptians Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and Tagammu remained components of the alliance.[2][7]
After the elections of 2011/2012, the ESDP left the Bloc, complaining that the other partners were more concerned over the secular-Islamist divide than over the differences between the former regime and the forces of the revolution.[13] In September 2012, the Tagammu Party joined the Revolutionary Democratic Coalition.[14]
Results of the 2011 Parliamentary elections
In the 2011/2012 parliamentary elections, the Egyptian Bloc won 2,402,238 votes out of 27,065,135 correct votes, or roughly 8.9% of all votes. The Egyptian Bloc thus received 33 seats out of 332 in the Egyptian Parliament. The 33 seats were divided between members of the Bloc as follows:
- Egyptian Social Democratic Party: 16 seats
- Free Egyptians Party: 14 seats
- National Progressive Unionist Party: 3 seats
In addition, one independent candidate belonging to the Free Egyptians Party won one of the 168 seats allocated for independent candidates.
Thus, the Egyptian Bloc won a total of 34 seats out of 500 (6.8%) in the 2012 Egyptian Parliament, thus becoming the fourth largest political block in the parliament.
Shura Council elections
During the
Member organisations
Former member organisations
- Freedom Egypt Party[10]
- Egyptian Communist Party[10]
- Democratic Front Party[1]
- Awareness Party[10]
- Sufi Liberation Party[1]
- Socialist Popular Alliance Party[11] (withdrawn in October)[12]
- Socialist Party of Egypt[11] (withdrawn in October)[12]
- Egyptian Social Democratic Party (withdrawn after the 2011/2012 elections)[13]
- Free Egyptians Party[16]
- National Progressive Unionist Party (Tagammu)[14]
Social and labour organisations
- National Association for Change[10]
- The National Council[10]
- the Farmers' Syndicate[1]
- the Popular Worker's Union[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Saleh, Yasmine (16 August 2011), Egypt liberals launch 'The Egyptian Bloc' to counter Islamists in Nov. vote, Al Arabiya, archived from the original on 27 December 2011, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b "Liberal Egyptian Bloc launches its 2011 election campaign", Ahram Online, 1 November 2011, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ Shukrallah, Salma (19 August 2011), "Election fever hits Egypt as parties form coalitions to compete for first post-Mubarak parliament", Ahram Online, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (16 December 2011), "The Failure of Secular and Liberal Egyptians", The American Spectator, archived from the original on 8 June 2013, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ Sanger-Weaver, Jodi (28 December 2011), "Islamists at the Forefront of Egyptian Elections", Prospect, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ Youssef, Abdel Rahman (11 January 2012), "Copts, Islamists face off in Minya run-offs", The Daily News Egypt, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b Sanger-Weaver, Jodi (November 2011), "Elections in Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood, Theocracy and Democracy", Prospect, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ "A Partial Guide to the Egyptian Political Parties". Connected in Cairo. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ Mahmoud, Hussein (16 August 2011), "Newly Formed Egyptian Bloc to Compete in Elections, FJP Welcomes", Ikhanweb, archived from the original on 20 July 2014, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b c d e f g "14 Liberal, leftist and Sufi forces create electoral bloc in Egypt", Ahram Online, 15 August 2011, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b c "Egypt political parties coalesce in readiness for parliamentary elections", Egypt.com, 13 September 2011, archived from the original on 21 March 2012, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b c Raslan, Sarah (23 October 2011), "Revolution Continues Alliance stabilises, one day ahead of registration deadline", Ahram Online, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b "All broken up: new coalitions form as old electoral alliances die out", Daily News Egypt, 25 August 2012, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ a b Revolutionary Democratic Coalition: A new voice on Egypt's Left, Ahram Online, 19 September 2012, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ "Egyptian Bloc divided over boycotting Shura Council elections", Egypt Independent, 10 January 2012, retrieved 22 July 2014
- ^ "'Civil' powers unite to form 'Conference Party'". Egypt Independent. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2014.