CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed his frayed relations with political parties May 27 by stating, during a meeting with them, that the presidential institution stands at an unbiased and equal distance from all political forces. The president proposed — and promised to support — a unified list of all political parties and forces that are to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, which the government is keen to hold this year.
Egyptian political parties have had strained ties with the presidency since April, because of the laws regulating elections, which were deemed unfit for a healthy political life. The laws also threatened the coming parliament with unconstitutionality, which could lead to its dissolution, as happened in 2012. Party leaders like Mohammed Anwar al-Sadat, president of the Reform and Development Misruna Party, expressed his opinion.
