CAIRO, 18 May 2005 — Three of Egypt’s biggest opposition parties yesterday called for a boycott of a May 25 referendum on a new system of contested presidential elections.
The leaders of the three parties — the Wafd, the Tagammu and the Nasserists — said after a coordination meeting that if they took part in the elections they would merely be “props in a play which is not serious”.
The parties said a constitutional amendment changing the way the president is chosen would not give the opposition a real opportunity to challenge the ruling party’s candidate. It sets tough conditions for independent candidates to stand and requires parties to win 5 percent of seats in Parliament before they can have a candidate in any elections after those taking place this September.
“Although the proposed text gives existing parties the chance to field candidates in 2005, we believe that this is a formal opportunity beset by obstacles, the lack of a level playing field and a (ruling party) monopoly of the media and means to address the public,” they said in a joint statement. “The three parties announce their boycott of the referendum set for May 25... and call on the Egyptian people to boycott this referendum and stay at home on this day,” they said. The three parties also decided to pull out of a “national dialogue” with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), on the grounds that the talks had outlived their purpose.
Tagammu leader Rifaat El-Said complained about the phrasing of the referendum question: “Do you agree to amending Article 76 of the constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt?” Article 76 covers the method of choosing the president. “It cannot ... be considered a true referendum... It is a stupid and naive question. Everyone agrees to changing Article 76 of the constitution,” he said.
— Additional input from agencies
