Ahmed Ezz: My exclusion from election goes against the revolution

Prominent Mubarak-regime figure and steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz defended his decision to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections in his first television appearance since the 2011 revolution on Tuesday evening.

Ezz, the secretary general of the formerly-ruling National Democratic Party, has been widely held responsible for election fraud under Mubarak in 2010.

In an interview broadcast on Al-Nahar television with host Khaled Salah, Ezz asserted that he had a right to run for election and that excluding him goes against what he called the “beautiful values” of the 2011 revolution.

“A great price was paid for the revolution that erupted against people, including me. Shouldn’t we practice its goals? Otherwise what’s left?” he asked, adding, “If we officiate a culture of exclusion, it will remain with us in the future, do we want democracy or not?”

Increasing financial and political corruption in the last 10 years of Mubarak’s rule has been attributed in part to his son Gamal Mubarak and the president’s inner circle, including Ezz, who monopolized the steel industry under Mubarak.

Since 2011 he has faced trials for squandering public funds, money laundering, the illegal acquisition of a majority share in state-run companies and a monopoly on the steel market. Following initial jail sentences, Ezz walked free in August 2014 after paying bail.

The elections committee rejected his submission to run for the parliamentary elections, citing incomplete papers, and he is currently awaiting the result of his appeal.

During the interview, Ezz admitted he was partly responsible for the anger of the people that exploded in 2011, adding, “for that I will apologize to my last breath.”

He also accepted responsibility for passing constitutional amendments that removed judicial oversight on elections, causing outrageous rigging in 2010, saying that it was a historical mistake, the consequences of which he was not fully aware of at the time.

Responding to claims that his presence in the elections as one of Mubarak’s main figures harms the current government, Ezz said that the regime would not be threatened by one individual, asserting that he is only running for one of hundreds of seats.

“My only goal is to contribute to the development of my country through a legislative position that I have plenty of experience in,” said Ezz, who served as a representative for Monufiya in Mubarak’s last three parliaments.

He asserted that he would drop his immunity if he were to win a parliamentary seat, to prove that he’s not running to protect himself from ongoing corruption cases.

Ezz’s wife, Shahinaz al-Naggar, has also submitted papers to run for the upcoming elections and has been accepted. Naggar served in the 2005 parliament as an independent candidate for Manial district.