Reform and Development Party (Egypt)
Reform and Development Party حزب الأصلاح و التنمية | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat |
| Founder | Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Cairo |
| Ideology | Liberalism |
| Political position | Centre |
| National affiliation | Civil Democratic Movement[1] Democratic Path Alliance[2] National Unified List for Egypt[3] |
| Colors | Gold |
| House of Representatives | 9 / 568
|
| Senate | 4 / 300
|
| Website | |
| http://www.rdpegypt.org/ | |
The Reform and Development Party (Arabic: حزب الأصلاح و التنمية, romanized: Hizb Al-Islah wa Al-Tanmiyah) is a political party in Egypt.
History and profile
The Reform and Development Party was founded in 2009.[4] The founders of the party are Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat, the ex-president Anwar Sadat's nephew, and the Egyptian billionaire Raymond Lakah.[5] The initial license application of the party was rejected in July 2010.[4] It was legalized in May 2011, just after the Egypt's 25 January Revolution in 2011.[4]
The party participated in the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election and won nine seats in the lower house.[6]
Although the Reform and Development Party participated in the 2015 parliamentary elections, Sadat criticized the election process, which was delayed for seven months, as well as the Supreme Constitutional Court being allowed to rule on complaints against election laws.[7]
It joined the Civil Democratic Movement when it launched in 2017.[8]
The party has gradually distanced itself from president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Sadat briefly ran in the 2018 Egyptian presidential election, though he withdrew.[9] Sadat criticized the pro-Sisi "Alashan Tbneeha" (To Build It) campaign on constitutional grounds for allowing government employees to publicly support the campaign. Supporters of his own campaign, "Benhab al-Sadat" (We Love al-Sadat), have been harassed by the government.[10]
The party joined the Democratic Path Alliance in June 2025 ahead of the 2025 Egyptian Senate election and began negotiating joining the National Unified List for Egypt.[2] The party confirmed joining the National Unified List in late October when the alliance submitted nomination papers ahead of the 2025 Egyptian parliamentary election.[3] Sadat argued on Saudi-owned MBC Masr that the party did not possess the finances, or the experienced politicians to run on its own and also pointed to the lack of a "mixed system".[11]
References
- ^ "Eight liberal and leftist Egyptian parties to boycott 2018 presidential elections". Ahram Online. 30 January 2018. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b Safaa Essam Eddin (29 June 2025). "Nation's Future leads unified list as parties scramble for Senate seats". Al Manassa. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b Gamal Essam El-Din (23 October 2025). "Contenders gear up". Ahram Online. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "Reform and Development Party". Jadaliyya. 26 December 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Reform and Development". Egyptian Elections Watch. 28 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Masrawy". Archived from the original on 23 January 2012.
- ^ "Egypt's opposition forces will not boycott upcoming parliamentary polls". Ahram Online. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Egyptian leftist, liberal parties launch new Civil Democratic Movement". Ahram Online. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Sadat nephew and Sisi critic drops Egyptian presidential bid". The Guardian. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Sadat criticizes "Alashan Tbneeha" petition for constitutional concerns". Egypt Independent. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Egypt's Parliamentary Elections: A Political Banquet Served by the Seats of Power". Al-Estiklal. Retrieved 18 December 2025.