Reform and Development Party (Egypt) explained

Reform and Development Party
Native Name:حزب الأصلاح و التنمية
Founder:Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat
Chairman:Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat
Leader1 Title:Vice Chairman
Headquarters:Cairo
Position:Centre
Ideology:Liberalism
National:Civil Democratic Movement[1]
Colors:Gold
Native Name Lang:ar
Website:http://www.rdpegypt.org/
Country:Egypt
Seats1 Title:House of Representatives

The Reform and Development Party (Arabic: حزب الأصلاح و التنمية|translit=Hizb Al-Islah wa Al-Tanmiyah) is a liberal political party in Egypt.

History and profile

The Reform and Development Party was founded in 2009.[2] The founders of the party are Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat, the ex-president Anwar Sadat's nephew, and the Egyptian billionaire Raymond Lakah.[3] The initial license application of the party was rejected in July 2010.[2] It was legalized in May 2011, just after the Egypt's 25 January Revolution in 2011.[2]

The party participated in the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election and won 9 seats in the lower house.[4] The party merged with the Misruna party (Our Egypt party) in June 2011; the party name changed slightly.[3]

Although the Reform and Development Party participated in the 2015 parliamentary elections, Sadat criticized the election process, which was delayed for 7 months, as well as the Supreme Constitutional Court being allowed to rule on complaints against election laws.[5]

The party has gradually distanced itself from president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Sadat briefly ran in the 2018 Egyptian presidential election, though he withdrew.[6] Sadat criticized the pro-Sisi "Alashan Tbneeha" (To Build It) campaign on constitutional grounds for allowing government employees to publicly support the campaign. Supporters of his own campaign, "Benhab al-Sadat" (We Love al-Sadat), have been harassed by the government.[7]

References

  1. News: Eight liberal and leftist Egyptian parties to boycott 2018 presidential elections. Ahram Online. 30 January 2018. 30 January 2018. 10 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180210005928/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/1187/289073/Egypt/-Presidential-Elections--/Eight-liberal-and-leftist-Egyptian-parties-to-boyc.aspx. live.
  2. News: Reform and Development Party. 5 October 2014. Jadaliyya. 26 December 2011. 6 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092543/http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/3781/reform-and-development-party-misruna. live.
  3. News: Reform and Development. Egyptian Elections Watch. 28 December 2011. 16 December 2013. 13 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131213195824/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/33/104/30395/Elections-/Political-Parties/Reform-and-Development.aspx. live.
  4. Web site: Masrawy. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120123215802/http://www.masrawy.com/infograph/. 2012-01-23.
  5. Web site: Egypt's opposition forces will not boycott upcoming parliamentary polls. Ahram Online. 10 August 2015. 13 August 2015. 12 August 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150812234355/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/137494/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-opposition-forces-will-not-boycott-upcoming.aspx. live.
  6. Web site: Sadat nephew and Sisi critic drops Egyptian presidential bid. The Guardian. 15 January 2018. 15 January 2018. 15 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180115160536/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/15/sadat-nephew-and-sisi-critic-drops-egyptian-presidential-bid. live.
  7. Web site: Sadat criticizes "Alashan Tbneeha" petition for constitutional concerns. 24 October 2017. Egypt Independent. 24 November 2017. 1 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040634/http://www.egyptindependent.com/sadat-criticizes-alashan-tbneeha-petition-for-constitutional-concerns/. live.

External links