Left parties emerging in Egypt

Submitted by Matthew on 2 March, 2011 - 1:08

We now have a report of the formation of two new leftist parties, including one that explicitly calls itself a labour party — Labour Democratic Party.

Its founding statement says: “Businessmen and political elites have their own parties and groups while workers, despite their critical role in the revolution, don’t have a political party to represent and lead them in the struggle for power.”

Kamal Khalil, its spokesperson, is or was a leader of the Revolutionary Socialist group. It appears that the party seeks to base itself on the emerging independent trade union movement, which is a very good thing. However, it’s unclear yet how large a group of workers that will represent. Moreover, since Kamal Abbas and the Center for Trade Union and Workers’ Services will be a central element in this formation, it is likely to maintain a bread and butter focus and to shy away from ideological-programmatic issues.

Another thing to look for is whether Kamal Abu Eita and the independent Real Estate Tax Assessors’ Union support this party. Kamal has been a leading member of the unrecognized Nasserist Karama Party.

There is a third party with a left outlook: the Tagammu, whose leadership is corrupt but which does have some good elements among its base, especially workers in places like Suez and Tanta.

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