Egypt bars Mubarak-era leaders from elections

An Egyptian court has banned leaders of former president Hosni Mubarak’s political party from running in any elections.

A Cairo Court ruled on Tuesday that leaders from Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) could not run in any presidential, parliamentary or local city council elections.

The court based its ruling on the decision to disband the party because of its role during the Mubarak era, saying that allowing its senior members to run would be a “warning bell” of a political comeback.

However Judge Karim Hazem did not specify the number, names or titles of the politicians who would be prevented from running in coming polls, and did not define what constituted a party ‘leader’.

“The ruling was not clear and did not respond to our demand,” prominent Egyptian activist and lawyer Gamal Eid told the Reuters news agency.

Former constitutional court judge, Tahany al-Gebali, told the AFP news agency “the ruling is not final, and it could be subject to an urgent appeal”.

A previous court case attempting to ban NDP members from politics for a period was shot down by the constitutional court.

Mubarak’s party was disbanded and its offices shut down in 2011, following an uprising against his rule, but NDP members could still run in elections.

Some politicians formed new parties, struck alliances with existing parties or ran as independents in the last parliamentary elections.

The state’s most active political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, which has won all five elections held since Mubarak’s overthrow, was banned by a court order last year.