When you look at everything that is happening, I am sure, I have no doubt, this is out to crush the party and him personally, at least until the elections are over.
The reason for this is that the ban was announced after newspapers went to the printers.
Both of these parties are disintegrating. Now, the leaders of these old opposition groups are only interested in keeping their positions as the heads of their parties.
I'm sure he grits his teeth that we're out there criticizing him, but we can't turn back.
In Cairo this requirement fortunately does not apply, but it is perplexing and penalizes candidates from small parties.
Civil liberties, human rights, political reform - that's front-page material. And I want 80 percent of the news to be local.
Are they committed to change? The answer is no. They have to give the impression of free and fair elections. But practically, they are very far from that.
It's a pity because it really looked like he was going to deliver.
The means available to candidates are hugely disproportionate. One cannot compete with the government machine.