Free Egyptians Party

Free Egyptians Party
حزب المصريين الأحرار
Chairman Essam Khalil[1]
Secretary-General Ahmed Kahiry
Founder Naguib Sawiris[2]
Founded 3 April 2011 (2011-04-03)
Headquarters 2 Hassan Sabry Street Zamalek-Cairo
Membership  (2011) 100,000[3]
Ideology Liberalism[4]
Secularism[5]
Political position Centre[6] to Centre-right[7]
Regional affiliation Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy
Colors      Red
Slogan Party For All Egyptians
(Arabic: حزب لكل المصريين‎)
House of Representatives
65 / 596
Website
www.almasreyeenalahrrar.com//

The Free Egyptians Party (Arabic: حزب المصريين الأحرار‎, translit. Ḥizb al-Maṣrīyīn al-Aḥrār [ħezb el mɑsˤɾejˈjiːn el ʔɑħˈɾˤɑːɾˤ]) is an Egyptian liberal party, founded after the 2011 Egyptian revolution.[8] It supports the principles of a liberal, democratic, and secular political order in post-Mubarak Egypt.

History

Establishment

On 3 April 2011, the engineer and business tycoon Naguib Sawiris, an Egyptian Copt, and a group of intellectuals and political activists announced the establishment of the party and declared the program, the objectives and the basic principles of the party.[9] Other prominent party members include the Egyptian American scientist Farouk El-Baz,[10] the Egyptian Arabic poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, the writer Gamal El-Ghitani, and the telecommunications entrepreneur Khaled Bichara.[11]

In July 2011, infighting emerged within the party. An internal faction called the "Group of 17" accused the national leadership of undemocratic methods in choosing local leaders in the Damietta Governorate and of tolerating former members of the National Democratic Party, the ruling party of the toppled Mubarak regime, within the ranks of the Free Egyptians Party. Five of the dissidents have been excluded from the party, and have been denoted as "troublemakers" by party officials.[4] Nevertheless, in August of the same year, the new party reported to have 100,000 members.[3]

Egyptian Bloc and elections of 2011/2012

The Free Egyptians Party was an integral component of the Egyptian Bloc, a broad electoral alliance opposing the Muslim Brotherhood, founded on 16 August 2011. The Egyptian Bloc has taken up the cause of defending Egypt's secularity and civic society.[12] However, until the first post-revolutionary parliamentary elections, held in November 2011 and January 2012, several member parties left the Egyptian Bloc, complaining that it included "remnants of the former regime".[13]

So, at the time of the election the Bloc only included the Free Egyptians Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), and Tagammu.[14][15] Together, the Bloc won 2,402,238 votes, corresponding to a share of 8.9%. Of the 332 seats allocated to parties and coalitions, 33 were taken by candidates of the Egyptian Bloc, 14 of which were members of the Free Egyptians Party. One FEP member was elected to one of the 166 seats reserved for individual candidates.

Unlike its partners ESDP and Tagammu, the Free Egyptians Party decided to boycott the Shura council elections in January and February 2012, citing the reluctance of authorities to address irregularities during the lower house elections.[16] After the elections, the Egyptian Bloc collapsed with the ESDP retiring, claiming 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.[17] In March 2012, former deputy chairman and member of parliament Mohamed Abu Hamed resigned from the party to become a leader of the Life of the Egyptians Party and later of the Egyptian Patriotic Movement.[18]

Opposition against the Islamist government

The Free Egyptians did not take part in the selection of members of the Constituent Assembly in June 2012, lamenting an over-representation of Islamists in it.[19] It confirmed its calls to boycott the assembly in September 2012.[20] Instead, the FEP participated in a number of projects trying to coordinate the secular opposition against the Islamist majority that came out of the election, namely the Egyptian Nation Alliance that was announced in September 2012,[21] the Civil Democratic Movement of October 2012,[22] and the National Salvation Front founded in November 2012.[23] The FEP called for a boycott of the constitutional referendum in December 2012 to demonstrate their rejection of the entire process that led to the Islamist-sponsored 2012 constitution.[24]

After 2013 protests

The Free Egyptians Party supported the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, which followed anti-government protests against him. The party regarded the protests leading up to Morsi's removal as a revolution, but did not regard his overthrow as a coup.[25] In December 2013, the older liberal Democratic Front Party merged into the Free Egyptians Party.[26] In the same month, it was reported that the Free Egyptians Party had become part of the National Front Coalition,[27] but in February 2014 the party clarified that it would not make sense to join an electoral alliance before the electoral law was even passed.[28]

The Free Egyptians supported the 2014 Egyptian constitution that was up for vote during the January 2014 constitutional referendum,[29] which it passed with 98.1% (while the turnout was 38.6%). In April 2014, the Free Egyptians Party was admitted as a full member to the Liberal International,[30] as it had previously already been an observer member and member of the regional Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy. The party has declared its support for candidate Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the May 2014 presidential election.[31]

President

After the party's establishment, a presidential office has been configured to act as president of the party until internal elections, this office included Hani Sarie-Eldin, Ahmed Hassan Said and Basil Adel. After the parliamentary elections of November 2011 and January 2012, Ahmed Said was appointed as interim president of the party and Rawi Camel-Touge as interim Secretary General. After holding the first congress of the party on 10 May 2013 Ahmed Said was elected to be the first elected president of the Free Egyptians Party. After the merger of the Democratic Front Party into the Free Egyptians Party, at the first Supreme Council meeting on 28 April 2014 Essam Khalil was elected to be General Secretary.

in December 2015, Free Egyptians Party elected his leader Essam Khalil with 84% of votes[1] to be the second elected president.

Political bureau

the first elected Political Bureau of the Free Egyptians Party:

Board of Trustees

Board of trustees was approved in the first congress of the party

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2016/01/01/free-egyptians-party-elects-its-president/
  2. ↑ Al-Masriyeen al-Ahrrar (Free Egyptians Party), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, retrieved 16 December 2013
  3. 1 2 Liberal Egyptian party secures 100,000 members, Reuters, 25 August 2011, retrieved 16 December 2013
  4. 1 2 "Free Egyptians party sacks five 'troublemakers'", Ahram Online, 17 July 2011, retrieved 16 December 2013
  5. ↑ نص عبد القادر خيشي. "حزب "المصريين الأحرار" يرفع شعار العلمانية بزعامة الملياردير نجيب ساويرس - France - فرانس24". France24. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Charbel, Jano (8 April 2014), "Anti-MB group dominates Engineers Syndicate elections", Mada Masr
  7. ↑ Sabry, Bassem (12 September 2013), "The Uncertain Fate of Egypt’s Political Parties", Al Monitor
  8. ↑ "A Partial Guide to the Egyptian Political Parties". Connected in Cairo. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Free Egyptians (Al Masreyeen Al Ahrar) Party". Electionnaire. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Farouk El-Baz joins Free Egyptians Party", Ahram Online, 20 Apr 2011, retrieved 16 December 2013
  11. ↑ Afify, Heba (4 April 2011), "Naguib Sawiris launches liberal 'Free Egyptians Party'", Egypt Independent, retrieved 16 December 2013
  12. ↑ Saleh, Yasmine (16 Aug 2011), "Egypt liberals launch 'The Egyptian Bloc' to counter Islamists in Nov. vote", Reuters, retrieved 29 April 2014
  13. ↑ Raslan, Sarah (23 October 2011), "Revolution Continues Alliance stabilises, one day ahead of registration deadline", Ahram Online, retrieved 29 April 2014
  14. ↑ "Liberal Egyptian Bloc launches its 2011 election campaign", Ahram Online, 1 November 2011, retrieved 29 April 2014
  15. ↑ Sanger-Weaver, Jodi (November 2011), "Elections in Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood, Theocracy and Democracy", Prospect, retrieved 29 April 2014
  16. ↑ "Egyptian Bloc divided over boycotting Shura Council elections". Egypt Independent. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  17. ↑ "All broken up: new coalitions form as old electoral alliances die out", Daily News Egypt, 25 August 2012, retrieved 29 April 2014
  18. ↑ "Political alliances in the post-revolutionary Egypt". Al-Arabiya News. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  19. ↑ "Rift widens over Egypt’s constitution after liberals, leftists stage second walkout". Al Arabiya with Agencies. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-07-08.
  20. ↑ "Political forces sign on ElBaradei call for Constituent Assembly boycott". Ahram Online. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Liberal, leftist forces unite to defeat 'unrepresentative' constitution". Ahram Online. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  22. ↑ Massive New Coalition Unites To Rival Political Islam in Egypt, Al Monitor, 11 October 2012
  23. ↑ "Profile: Egypt's National Salvation Front". BBC. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Opposition forces gear towards a 'no' vote". Egypt Independent. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  25. ↑ Wedeman, Ben; Sayah, Reza; Smith, Matt (4 July 2013), Coup topples Egypt's Morsy; deposed president under 'house arrest', CNN.com
  26. ↑ Two Egyptian liberal parties announce merger, Ahram Online, 21 December 2013, retrieved 29 April 2014
  27. ↑ "Conference Party to form electoral coalition". Cairo Post. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  28. ↑ "Free Egyptians Party: We will not enter any alliance until elections law issued". Cairo Post. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  29. ↑ "Egypt's Free Egyptians Party distributes Braille draft constitution at rally". Ahram Online. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  30. ↑ "Free Egyptians Party joins Liberal International", The Cairo Post, 28 April 2014
  31. ↑ Kortam, Hend (28 April 2014), "Parties choose between Al-Sisi and Sabahy", Daily News Egypt

External links

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