Cairo: An Egyptian election commission on Sunday barred Ahmad Ezz, a business mogul and a leading member of the National Democratic Party of former president Hosni Mubarak, from contesting the country’s forthcoming parliamentary elections, citing technical reasons.
Ezz was the organisational secretary of the National Democratic Party under Mubarak. A court disbanded the once-dominant party months after Mubarak was forced to step down in a 2011 uprising.
A spokesperson for the Supreme Electoral Committee said that Ezz, 56, had been disqualified because the financial documents he registered as part of his parliamentary bid did not meet criteria set down by the panel.
Ezz also failed to submit a required document on his wife’s wealth, according to the spokesperson.
Ezz’s lawyer Mohammad Hamouda said he will appeal the disqualification at the Administrative Court. A decision on the appeal is expected later this month.
Following Mubarak’s ouster, Ezz was arrested and put on trial on charges of corruption. In August last year, he was released from prison after paying a hefty fine pending a retrial for alleged monopoly.
Ezz owns one of Egypt’s biggest steel plants. His bid for parliament has caused an uproar in Egypt.
Mubarak’s opponents have voiced concern that prominent members of the former regime are looking to stage a political comeback through the parliamentary elections due to begin next month.
