The Reform and Development Party was founded in 2009.[2] The founders of the party are Mohamed Anwar Esmat Sadat, the ex-president Anwar Sadat's nephew, and the Egyptian billionaire Raymond Lakah.[3] The initial license application of the party was rejected in July 2010.[2] It was legalized in May 2011, just after the Egypt's 25 January Revolution in 2011.[2]
The party participated in the 2011–12 Egyptian parliamentary election and won 9 seats in the lower house.[4] The party merged with the Misruna party (Our Egypt party) in June 2011; the party name changed slightly.[3]
Although the Reform and Development Party participated in the 2015 parliamentary elections, Sadat criticized the election process, which was delayed for 7 months, as well as the Supreme Constitutional Court being allowed to rule on complaints against election laws.[5]
The party has gradually distanced itself from president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Sadat briefly ran in the 2018 Egyptian presidential election, though he withdrew.[6] Sadat criticized the pro-Sisi "Alashan Tbneeha" (To Build It) campaign on constitutional grounds for allowing government employees to publicly support the campaign. Supporters of his own campaign, "Benhab al-Sadat" (We Love al-Sadat), have been harassed by the government.[7]
