Outspoken government critic to run for top parliamentary position
CAIRO: In a brazen move by any independent or opposition politician, controversial Member of Parliament (MP) Talaat El-Sadat announced Wednesday that he will run for parliament s top position.
El-Sadat, a controversial lawyer, nephew of former president Anwar El-Sadat and a fierce critic of the government, claims he was urged by National Democratic Party (NDP) members to contest Fathi Sorour over head-of-parliament candidacy. Sorour has been heading the People s Assembly (lower-house of parliament) for more than a decade, holding on to his seat despite harsh criticism and accusations of corruption.
El-Sadat s statement, which implies NDP support for his unexpected decision, sounds conflicting to the usual NDP stance toward El-Sadat, who, in many occasions, bad-mouthed the ruling party and accused it of corruption.
National Democratic Party members contacted me and encouraged me to run against Fathi Sorour, El-Sadat told the press. They believe that the parliament has lost its executive and legal authority.
El-Sadat, in Wednesday’s statements to independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, said that his move aims to limit the government s control and monopoly in parliament, which is currently the norm, according to him. The MP also added that his campaign to run for the head position will start next November, as the new parliamentary session kicks off.
Notably, the parliament s agenda is full, as a list of much-debated constitutional amendments top the assembly s priorities.
A full-fledged change is needed so that people would put their trust again in the assembly, said the outspoken El-Sadat.
El-Sadat has been in the limelight lately, often issuing shocking, and sometimes comical, statements against the government and its policies. El-Sadat is also a strong supporter of jailed politician and former presidential candidate Ayman Nour.
El-Sadat had a recent row with MP and NDP big-wig Ahmed Ezz, who works closely with politician, deputy secretary general of the party and President Hosni Mubarak’s son, Gamal Mubarak. The conflict between Ezz and El-Sadat reached its peak in parliament when the latter took off one of his shoes and threatened to hit Ezz – an act which was widely circulated in the press and much-criticized for its lack of decency.
El-Sadat had raised questions about Ezz s fortune – reported to exceed LE 40 billion and had doubted the integrity of the relatively young NDP leader.