5 questions for a parliamentary candidate: Amr al-Mekky

Amr al-Mekky is the Salafi Nour Party’s deputy president for foreign affairs. He’s running in the 2015 parliamentary elections for the Raml district in Alexandria. Mekky is an active member of several social initiatives, such as Bader, which works with Egyptian youth to prepare them to start and run their own businesses, and Eraf Masr, which works to promote tourism.

Why are you interested in running in the elections?

Egypt needs concerted efforts at this time. We need to feel a responsibility towards the nation and this responsibility needs a vision. It needs someone willing to sacrifice their time and personal life to implement this vision. We need real participation to build our nation.

I also want to point out that candidates are selected after a screening process, whereby the party nominates those with a vision, who can offer something new to the party and the country.

What would your priorities be if you were to win a seat in parliament?

I am interested in three main areas. Firstly, education, as it is the foundation for every Egyptian citizen. Human development is the basis for increasing productivity and moving this production forwards into the future. The student is the main pillar of our future.

Secondly, because of my work for the party, I am interested in foreign affairs. This includes investing in Egypt’s image abroad and restoring Egypt’s leading role in the Middle East and the Arab world. Egypt needs a lot of administrative reform to restore this role.

Thirdly, and this may surprise you, I am interested in women’s issues, but from my party’s perspective. We need all Egyptians to be productive and have a place in society. Some women are afraid to participate in society fully, so I will work on building women’s capacities.

Who is supporting your candidacy?

The Nour Party, of course. However, I have also been part of many social initiatives and worked with young people, so I am expecting them to support me.

Do you feel there is the political context for your success in a free and fair election?

This will depend on the candidates. They will have to have the country’s best interest at heart and focus on their programs. I can already see that this is the case through conversations with other candidates. Any candidate who violates the rules will immediately lose the respect of the people.

How competitive do you think this election will be?

I can’t predict that. Our constituency has the largest number of candidates I believe. However, I think competition will only be limited to a small number. I don’t think it will be unfair.