Political Parties Spring Up in Egypt

With elections looming in Egypt, a slew of new political parties—both secular and Islamist—are being created across the land, reports the Wall Street Journal. But many organizers fear there's not enough time for parties to solidify nationally before the September elections, which could result in a familiar scenario for the nation: a too-strong president dominating a weak parliament. The quick run-up to elections also could give the well-organized Muslim Brotherhood an edge.

"It's too short," a member of the former ruling party tells the Journal. "In the absence of parties representing the new era and the weakness of the traditional parties, we are going to have a very individualized kind of parliament." In the meantime, many new parties are sprouting on Facebook. Already there are at least a dozen Facebook groups calling themselves the "25th of January Party," with the largest boasting nearly 330,000 "Likes."