CAIRO — The head of the Wafd Party, one of Egypt’s oldest political parties, Bahaa Abo Shoqa, referred on Nov. 22 former party head Sayyid al-Badawi to investigations. He accused him of committing financial violations and spreading rumors against the party. Abo Shoqa also accused Badawi of being directly involved in an internal division that sparked after the elections of the party’s Supreme Council on Nov. 9.

On Nov. 16, 26 prominent Wafd members filed a grievance contesting the election results, claiming that the elections were invalid.

In a press statement Nov. 18, Abo Shoqa replied, pointing to “attempts to distort the elections conducted with integrity and full transparency.”

Egyptian political analysts linked the Wafd Party’s internal division to the deteriorating political and partisan activity in Egypt. A number of prominent Egyptian parties, such as the Free Egyptians Party and the Dostour Party had also experienced internal disputes in the last two years. Meanwhile, opposition parties accused the current regime of tightening its grip on the public sphere and preventing parties from exercising their political rights.