The new Egyptian constitution of 2014 allowed members of the National Democratic Party (NDP) — the ruling party during the era of former President Hosni Mubarak — to run in any future elections, after the 2012 constitution politically isolated them. However, on May 6, many were surprised when a court ruling prohibited them from running in any elections.
Several legal and constitutional experts contended that the ruling was unconstitutional, and that it was issued by a court that was not competent to examine this type of case.