Egyptian Front and Independence Current Coalition excluded from Upper Egypt elections

The High Elections Commission (HEC) excluded the Egyptian Front and Independence Current Coalition from running in Upper Egypt in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

A statement released by the HEC on Saturday explained they were eliminated for failing to complete the criteria for nomination, according to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

The Supreme Administrative Court had ruled in favor of the coalition on Friday, rejecting an appeal by the State Lawsuits Authority to bar them from running.

The HEC outlined three main reasons for the decision, including an alleged forged signature for Ahmed al-Fadaly — head of the Independence Current, and notified the prosecution of these violations.

Meanwhile, the HEC accepted seven party lists in Upper Egypt and the West Delta, including the Nour Party and For the Love of Egypt. The Egyptian Front and Independence Current Coalition will also be allowed to run in the West Delta.

Additionally, the HEC claimed several campaign violations ahead of the permitted time on seven satellite channels between September 20 and 29, according to the committee tasked with monitoring media coverage.

CBC, Al-Hayat, Sada al-Balad and Dream are among the channels that will be notified of these violations and given a chance to respond within 24 hours. They will then be referred to the HEC for further action.

There are seven electoral alliances running in the first stage of Egypt's parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on October 18 and 19, competing for 60 seats that have been allocated to party lists.