{
"authors": [],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "",
"programs": [],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North Africa",
"Egypt"
],
"topics": []
}
Source: Getty
A backgrounder on the Constitution Party.
This resource was published on 10/31/2012 and is not updated to reflect changing circumstances.
The Al-Dostour Party was launched in April 2012 by Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as a broad nonideological party with the aim of advancing the January 25 revolution’s goals and democracy in Egypt. The party was officially licensed in September 2012 to be one of the few serious non-Islamist contenders set to challenge the ruling Islamist government in the coming parliamentary elections later this year or early 2013.
Mohamed ElBaradei: President and founding member
George Ishak: founding member
Emad Abou Ghazi: founding member
Ahmed Harara: founding member
Mohamed Yousri Salama: founding member
Gamila Ismail: founding member
Hossam Eissa: founding member
Mohamed Ghoneim: founding member
After a weak performance in the 2011–2012 parliamentary elections, non-Islamists refocused their efforts on organizing and challenging the ruling Freedom and Justice Party for power in 2012.
On April 28, Mohamed ElBaradei and some of Egypt’s most notable public intellectuals, liberal, and leftist figures announced their intent to found the Al-Dostour Party in order “to save the great January 25 revolution, which has been derailed, and is almost aborted, and to restore our unity.”
Al-Dostour describes its ideology as “Egyptian and inclusive,” distancing itself from the Islamist-secular divide and focusing instead on issues that people care and agree about like education, healthcare, and poverty. In practice, most Egyptians largely view Al-Dostour, founded as a response to the increasing influence of Islamists, as a political rival of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party.
On September 16, the Political Parties Affairs Committee approved the establishment of Al-Dostour. On the same day it was reported that the Adl Party and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party were seeking to merge with the new organization.
The party is rooted in five main principles and beliefs:
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
2026 has started in crisis, as the actions of unpredictable leaders shape an increasingly volatile global environment. To shift from crisis response to strategic foresight, what under-the-radar issues should the EU prepare for in the coming year?
Thomas de Waal
Despite the strategic importance of relations between the EU and the African Union, deep divisions remain between the blocs. At their upcoming summit, both partners should strive to build a mutually beneficial cooperation.
Marta Martinelli
The EU’s new Pact for the Mediterranean aims to reshape the bloc’s relations with its Southern neighborhood. But the initiative lacks concrete measures to address societal divides and the region’s pressing challenges.
Richard Youngs
As the EU prepares a new pact for its Southern neighborhood, the union should balance economic and security interests with support for civil society, political reforms, and inclusive governance.
Hussein Baoumi
Turkey’s dependence on energy imports has an impact on the country’s economic and geopolitical orientation. Turkish leaders should devise energy policies that respond to domestic priorities, regional ambitions, and the challenges posed by climate change.
Francesco Siccardi