Egyptian Opposition Protests Gov’t Violations Ahead of Local Elections

Egyptian Opposition Protests Gov’t Violations Ahead of Local Elections

More than 1200 persons affiliated to all national and political powers in Egypt staged a demonstration protesting at government violations in the run-up to the coming municipal elections, including government”s continuous attempts to prevent Muslim Brotherhood and independent potential candidates from submitting papers requitred for standing elections.
 
The protest, staged on Sunday March 9th in front of the Criminal Court in the coastal governorate of Alexandria, drew huge members and leaders of Egyptian political powers, including the Muslim Brotherhood and leaders in parties of Al-Ghad, Karama and the Democratic Front, in addition to a number of change movements like Kifaya (Enough) Movement, “Teachers without Sndicate “, the committee of “Engineers against Guardianship” and the committee of coordination between syndicates, plus delegates of some syndicates, like the bar association, the dentists syndicate and Agronomists syndicate.
 
This demonstration- that included also a number of member of the MB parliamentary bloc and members of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies- protested at the Arab recklessness towards the bloodletting practiced by Israeli occupation forces in Palestine, price hikes and the violations committed by government in the run-up to the municipal elections scheduled to be held next April, 8th, in addition to the security services tough treatment while receiving papers of the potential candidates and preventing them by any means, including even assaulting and beating the candidates.
 
Essam El-Erian, a top leader in the Muslim Brotherhood group, confirmed to Ikhwanweb that it is still so long to reach reform in the full meaning of the word. He called on all political and national powers to take part in the Muslim Brotherhood”s demands for reform and democracy.
 
All powers and people are facing a big challenge. All political powers must close rnks to either reach a real reform or expose the regime”s practices in front of the public opinion and the entire world, said El Erian.
 
George Ishak, a top member in Kifaya Movement and its former general coordinator, agreed with him that all political powers must close ranks against the Egyptian regime and its exercises. Ishak confirmed that Kifaya Movement spearheaded the organization organized in Alexandria on Sunday.
 
Ishak confirmed that he participated in two demonstrations held last week in the Egyptian Delta governorates of Damanhur and El-Mahalla El-Kubra protesting at the exercises of the unjust regime towards Egyptian people, specially the continuously aggravated price hikes.
 
He also told Ikhwanweb that the regime revealed its ugly face in El-Mahalla El-Kubra demonstration where security forces severely beat the demonstrators. This made Ishak submit a complaint to the attorney general against this incident.
 
“We will never accept that the Egyptian citizens face any maltreatment like this once again. The reaction will be severe in case this incident recurs”, he said. Ishak confirmed that Kifaya Movement will continue staging demonstrations against practices of the corrupt regime- especially against price hikes- extending its hands to political powers to be to by its side.
 
Salah Al Sayegh, a member of the People”s Assembly for Wafd Party, confirmed in his speech in the demonstration that he submitted a complaint to the attorney general of Ismailia prosecution, asking him to afford protection for the party”s potential candidates in the municipal elections after they were beaten by thugs and bullies of the ruling National Democratic Party bullies while they were submitting the papers required to stand elections.
 
As for Kifaya Movement”s attitude towards the municipal elections, Ishak confirmed that Kifaya Movement and its members boycott these elections because the rigging and violations committed in the legislative elections are and will be committed in these municipal elections.
 
He also saw that taking part in the election game gives legitimacy to the Egyptian regime, a legitimacy that it does not deserve, while this regime is tyrannical and must perish.