In recent days, the Wafd Party has been under great pressure to change its position at the last minute to push forward a candidate for the presidential elections against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after the party already announced its support for him. The Wafd, like the Tagammu Party, has supported the president in a rational way because they issued statements confirming their demands for political reforms, allowing parties arrange events at their headquarters, and open up public discussion about freedoms and human rights. Therefore, it was no longer thinkable or acceptable that the Wafd would change its position and make an announcement to enter a nominal competition against the president. Therefore, the decision of the Supreme Body of the Wafd Party to refuse to nominate a candidate against President Sisi after the party declared its support to him was the right decision. It gave the party a relative advantage that it can benefit from in order to develop the country’s political life.

Source: Egypt Independent January 31, 2018 16:30 UTC