CAIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Egypt's al-Wafd Party, one of th eoldest opposition parties in the country, outlined Sunday its platform for the upcoming presidential election, according to Egypt's official MENA news agency.

    Al-Wafd Party leader Noaman Gomaa, who had registered to stand in the Sept. 7 presidential election to challenge President Hosni Mubarak, told a press conference his party would pay much attention to the poor, denying claims that the party is for the elite. In terms of foreign policy, Gomaa said strong ties with Iran, ac ountry of political significance at both regional and international levels, would top his foreign policy priorities. The Palestinians must regain all their legitimate rights, he added.

    With regards to Egypt's ties with Western countries, Gomaa said although al-Wafd Party is not against any European or Western state, what the Americans and British are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the US backing of Israel in the Middle East peace process, had "earned them enemies."

    Al-Wafd Party, first founded in 1919, is one of Egypt's oldest opposition parties. It was banned in 1953 after President Gamal Abdel Nasser came to power and outlawed all political parties. The party came back to life in 1978 when political parties were allowed to resume operation, but was banned later again. The current Wafd Party was formed in 1983.

    The party, together with Nasserite Party and Tagamu Party, two other major opposition parties, had originally said it would boycott the presidential election. But they later decided to join the race.

    The Egyptian presidential elections commission, entrusted with organizing the polls, said Sunday that election campaigns will start from Aug. 17 and last until Sept. 4.

    The commission also said if no candidate wins at least 50 percent of valid votes on Sept. 7, voters will have to choose between the top two candidates in the second round of voting on Sept. 17. Enditem