20111128
Reuters
(Reuters) - Egypt starts voting on Monday in its first parliamentary election since President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, with more than 50 registered political parties.

Details on the most influential parties and groups follow:

* FREEDOM AND JUSTICE PARTY

The Freedom and Justice Party was set up in April as the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak and has emerged as one of the most influential forces.

The party has not issued a detailed manifesto. Brotherhood leaders say the party is a civil group that has Islam as a "reference" point. They say the party seeks a constitution that respects Muslims and non-Muslims, will not impose Islamic law and is committed to a pluralistic and democratic Egypt. The party has members from Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.

* WAFD PARTY

The New Wafd Party was set up in 1978 after former President Anwar Sadat opened up politics following a period when parties were banned, but its roots go back to the 1920s. Wafd means "delegation" and refers to the team that negotiated with the British and issued a declaration of independence in 1922.

Wafd has traditionally been a bastion of liberal democrats in Egypt. Historically, it drew the support of business elites and Copts. It was one of the opposition parties licensed under Mubarak, although its critics said it was co-opted by the state.

It advocates a liberal economy with a strong public sector.

* AL-MASRYEEN AL-AHRAR (FREE EGYPTIANS)

The liberal party, co-founded by Christian telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris, has positioned itself as a challenger to Islamist groups. The party, whose leaders include Hani Sarie-Eldin, a former chairman of the Egyptian Capital Market Authority and central bank board member, advocates free market policies, the separation of state and religion, ending class inequalities and expanding the middle class.

The party said in August it had more than 100,000 members. They include prominent figures such as writer Mohamed Salmawy, poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, film director Khaled Youssef and Mahmoud Mehny, the former president of al-Azhar University.

* OFF-SHOOTS OF MUBARAK'S DISBANDED PARTY

Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) was disbanded by a court order but former party officials have set up at least six new parties, which have conducted a low-key campaign. Opponents have demanded that former NDP members be barred from the poll.

One of the most prominent is the Ittihad (Union) party set up by Hossam Badrawi, who was named secretary-general of the NDP in the final days of the anti-Mubarak uprising in a last attempt to quell protests. Badrawi, seen as a reformer opposed by the old guard, swiftly resigned saying Egypt needed new parties. His party calls for separating judicial, executive and legislative powers whose boundaries were blurred under Mubarak, free market policies and stronger regulations to ensure social justice.

The NDP secured sweeping election victories under Mubarak through ballot stuffing, intimidation and other abuses. Some of its members still command influence through broad business or regional political links.

Other parties led by former NDP officials include Masr al-Tanmiya (Egypt Development), the Renaissance Party, the Egyptian National Party, Masr al-Haditha (Modern Egypt) party, and al-Mawatan al-Masri (Egyptian Citizen) party.

* TAGAMMU PARTY

The Tagammu party was established in 1976 by leftists who included Khaled Moheiddin, one of the officers who joined Gamal Abdel Nasser in the military coup that toppled the king in 1952.

It drew in Nasserists, Marxists and Arab nationalists. It once had strong support from the working class, professional unions, universities and intellectuals, but its influence waned as critics accused it of selling out to Mubarak's government.

Tagammu was the first group to withdraw from dialogue with Vice-President Omar Suleiman during the anti-Mubarak uprising. It has since become an outspoken critic of the Brotherhood.

* EGYPTIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

One of the first parties set up after the uprising, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party says it backs a market economy committed to social justice, ending monopolies, generating jobs and improving education and scientific research.

Founding members include Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, activists Mohamed Abou El-Ghar and Farid Zahran, film-maker Daoud Abdel Sayed and former U.N. diplomat Mervat Tallawy.

* DEMOCRATIC FRONT PARTY

The party was founded in 2007 to promote liberal and secular values by Osama Ghazali Harb, an intellectual and former NDP member, and Yehia al-Gamal, who was briefly deputy prime minister after the uprising. It is now headed by Al-Saeed Kamel after an internal election in August.

* GHAD (TOMORROW) PARTY

Al-Ghad was established in 2004 by Ayman Nour, a lawyer who split from Wafd after a row with its leader. Within months, the party was embroiled in a legal dispute when Nour was prosecuted for allegedly forging membership names.

Nour ran against Mubarak in 2005 when Egypt held its first and only multi-candidate presidential election under Mubarak. He came a distant second and was later jailed for forging documents, charges he said were politically motivated.

* AL-ADL (JUSTICE PARTY)

The centrist party was set up by youth activists and members of the National Association for Change, which played a key role in mobilising protests before and during the uprising. It advocates a civil state and a free-market economy, focusing its programme on sustainable development, building state institutions and encouraging investment in the public sector.

Supporters say it has avoided centralised decision-making and has used small youth cells for grassroots projects.

* WASAT (Center) PARTY

The moderate Islamist party spent 15 years seeking a license under Mubarak and got approval just over a week after he was overthrown. Wasat was set up by former Brotherhood members, who say they want to fuse respect for Islamic society with democracy.

* AL-NOUR (LIGHT) PARTY

The first party set up by Salafists, who follow a strict interpretation of Islam, wants Egypt to follow Islamic sharia law and advocates freedom of expression, an independent judiciary and stronger local government. It also calls for job creation through small and medium-sized firms.

The party calls for banks and lenders to use Islamic financing that avoids charging interest it views as usury, although it says any transition should take place gradually.

* REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY

The Reform and Development Party broke away from the Democratic Front Party in 2009 but was not allowed to register until May 2011. It was launched by Anwar Esmat al-Sadat, a nephew of former President Anwar Sadat. After his party was rejected in 2010, he lobbied for a complete overhaul of the licensing committee to prevent it from acting as an arm of the NDP. That committee was changed after the uprising. The party merged with the "Our Egypt" party led by Ramy Lakah in June.

* BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT PARTY

The Building and Development party is the political arm of Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, which has renounced violence after a militant past. It was founded by Tarek al-Zumar, who took part in Sadat's assassination and was released from three decades of jail after the uprising.

* MASR AL-HORREYA (EGYPT FREEDOM)

The party was founded by youth groups and academics, including academic and activist Amr Hamzawy. It endorses liberal market policies that are committed to social justice.

OTHER MAJOR MOVEMENTS AND ELECTION ALLIANCES

* DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE

The Democratic Alliance began as a coalition of 34 Islamist and other parties and was the first bloc formed after the uprising but it has shrunk to three main parties.

All Islamist parties, other than the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, have left the bloc. It now includes al-Karama party, al-Ghad and some other small and almost unknown groups. Its members are planning to contest all seats in the election.

FJP candidates account for 70 percent of the alliance's list and 90 percent of those running for the independent seats.

* AL-KUTLA AL-MASRIYA (THE EGYPT BLOC)

The bloc includes mostly liberal and leftist parties, including al-Masryeen al-Ahrar, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, and Tagammu. It has said it will have 233 candidates competing in 46 constituencies.

* AL-THAWRA MOSTMARA ALLIANCE (THE REVOLUTION CONTINUES)

The bloc is the most significant new player in the race. It has become the alliance of choice for many youth candidates. The bloc includes the Egypt Freedom Party, the Egyptian Current Party, founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood's youth wing, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, and the Revolution Youth Coalition. It is fielding 300 candidates in 33 districts.

* KEFAYA (ENOUGH)

Trade union leader George Ishak founded the Kefaya movement in 2004, galvanising protests against Mubarak's rule in 2005 and opposing what many saw as plans to pass power to his son, Gamal. The movement seemed to have lost its momentum but played a crucial role in mobilising protesters when the uprising erupted.

* NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CHANGE

The National Association for Change is a broad opposition coalition pushing for pro-democracy, constitutional reforms that was founded by ElBaradei and his supporters in 2010. The group was active in the build-up to the uprising.

* APRIL 6 YOUTH MOVEMENT

One of Egypt's most important youth organisations, it started in the spring of 2008 on Facebook to support workers protesting in the Delta industrial city of Mahalla el-Kubra. April 6 maintained the momentum of anti-government protests until the uprising, using online networking sites.

In 2009, the group said it had 70,000 members, most of whom are well-educated and politically unaffiliated. Its Facebook page now boasts almost 300,000 members. It is not a political party but regularly mobilises protests demanding faster reform.

* REVOLUTION YOUTH COALITION

Egypt's Revolution Youth Coalition, formed in the early days of the uprising, is made up of activists from across the political spectrum. It plays a pivotal role in organizing protests and has an active social networking profile.