Al-Wafd Party member and former parliamentarian Margaret Azer has joined the Free Egyptians Party, a statement for the Free Egyptians Party has said.

Azer joined the party because "it is one of the liberal parties that adopt a clear political programme and orientation and seek to play an effective role in the partisan domain", the statement reported.

Azer said she opposes al-Wafd's policies and had said in previous statements that she was excluded and ignored even though she is a member of the party's higher committee.

The former MP who was the first Copt to be chosen as an elected parliamentarian in 2011 had her membership frozen by al-Wafd temporarily after she had opposed the continuation of the party in the constituent assembly drafting the constitution last year.