Archive for Hamdeen Sabbahi

National Salvation Front: Brotherhood is terrorizing opposition

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December 28th, 2012

Hussein Abdel Ghany, the media spokesperson for the National Salvation Front, accused the Muslim Brotherhood of resorting to Mubarak-era tactics to discredit the opposition.

Front leaders Mohamed ElBaradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa are under investigation on charges of treason as per the instructions of the Brotherhood’s guidance bureau, Abdel Ghany said, claiming that this indicated a narrow understanding of democracy.

“Repeated attempts to discredit the opposition is a Mubarak-style method to terrorize political opponents,” he told Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Such charges won’t terrorize the opposition or stop them from peacefully fighting against the Brotherhood dictatorship and tyranny under the name of religion, Abdel Ghany continued.

"I say to the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood: Do not follow the same methods of the former regime … The Salvation Front will support peaceful protests and will not back down on battles against tyranny," he said.

Prosecutor General Talaat Abdallah agreed to assign a judge to investigate allegations of treason levied against the members of the front.

Al-Sayed Hamed, a member of the executive bureau of the Lawyers Syndicate’s Freedoms Committee, filed the charges along with his colleague, Nasser al-Asqalany.

The National Salvation Front is a coalition of 15 liberal parties opposed to the recently instated Constitution. Its members claim the constitutional referendum was rigged. Prior to the referendum, the front led demonstrations against the Constitution in front of the presidential palace. At least 10 died in the course of clashes with supporters of President Mohamed Morsy.

Hamed is also bringing charges of treason against former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan, Judges Club head Ahmed al-Zend and Supreme Constitutional Court Vice President Tahani al-Gebali.

Filing criminal charges against opposition figures was a common practice during former President Hosni Mubarak’s era.

Ghad al-Thawra Party leader Ayman Nour was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2005 for allegedly forging signatures to enable him to register the Ghad Party. The party had been approved in 2004. Nour was released from prison in February 2009.

Nour finished second after Mubarak in the presidential election in September 2005. Some observers argued that the case was punishment for his unexpected bid for presidency.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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ElBaradei, April 6 activists discuss 25 Jan anniversary, upcoming elections

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December 27th, 2012

Constitution Party founder Mohamed ElBaradei held a closed meeting with the April 6 Youth Movement on Thursday.

The meeting was held at ElBaradei’s home on the Cairo-Alexandria desert road from 12 pm to 2 pm.

ElBaradei reportedly met with the youth to discuss various political issues, including preparations for the second anniversary of the 25 January revolution and new methods to escalate peaceful protests against the recently adopted Constitution. They also discussed how to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary election, such as having the National Salvation Front run on a single list.

April 6 spokesperson Mahmoud Afify said he was at the meeting, as well as group members Ahmed Maher, Engy Hamdy, Ahmed al-Nadeem, Mohamed Samy, Mahmoud Basha and Mohamed Kamal.

The meeting is the first in a planned series of discussions between different opposition figures, including Hamdeen Sabbahi, Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh and Egypt's Future founder Amr Khaled.

“The next 25 January will be a day of rage all over Egypt,” Afify said, although he added that the protests would be peaceful.

The National Salvation Front on Wednesday called on people to mobilize in squares across Egypt to protest against the new Constitution.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Sabbahi invited us for dialogue, says Jama’a al-Islamiya

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December 24th, 2012

A leading figure in Jama'a al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party said Monday that former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi invited the group for a dialogue.

At a press conference, Safwat Abdel Ghany, who was recently appointed to the Shura Council by President Mohamed Morsy, said the group agreed to the dialogue and informed the Popular Current Party founder of its acceptance.

The group and the party also launched during the press conference an initiative entitled “Dialogue for the Homeland,” which it said is intended to contribute to a better future for the country.

The group called on Morsy to invite all political forces to the dialogue to discuss the articles of the constitution that need to be amended.

“We aim to end the state of polarization between the Islamist forces and the liberal and leftist forces,” said Tarek al-Zomor, the group’s spokesperson. “And we want to put Egypt on the right track.”

In response to a question on reported violations during the constitutional referendum, Zomor said the High Judicial Elections Commission would consider any complaints. “Democracy may be new to us,” he said, “but this does not mean the referendum was rigged deliberately.”

He appealed to all political forces who contributed to the current state of polarization among Egyptians to apologize to the people.

Zomor thanked the Egyptian people for disregarding attempts to incite them to violence and for approving the new constitution. He also thanked the Armed Forces and the police for their role in securing the referendum.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
 

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Cancellation of constitution top priority, ElBaradei says

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December 24th, 2012

Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei said that if his party is successful in the coming parliamentary elections, the top priority would be the cancellation of the new constitution.

ElBaradei told BBC on Monday that he believes the new constitution constrains basic values such as freedom of belief and expression and independence of the judiciary.

The Constitution Party is a member of the National Salvation Front along with the Wafd, Conference, Egyptian Social Democratic and Popular Current parties, and the National Association for Change.

In a press conference on Sunday, the front said it would run for parliamentary elections on one list.

Earlier on Monday, Hamdeen Sabbahi, founder of the Popular Current, expected the front to secure a majority in the elections.

In an interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency, Sabbahi rejected the new constitution, saying, “The referendum was manipulated. However, we’ll deal with it as a fact. We’ll struggle to cancel it.”

He added that comparing the results of the March 2011 referendum with the recent on indicates a decrease in Islamist popularity, specifically that of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In March 2011, the Constitutional Declaration was passed with a 78 percent vote after Islamist campaigns in support of the document. Preliminary results indicate that the draft constitution was approved by 64 percent. Sabbahi anticipated that this shift would help the NSF secure a majority in Parliament.

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‘Yes’ vote on constitution achieved by rigging, says opposition

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December 23rd, 2012

The opposition National Salvation Front blamed the apparent approval of the draft constitution on “rigging, violations and shortcomings in organization.”

Official results of the referendum are expected to be released on Monday, with early results indicating that the constitution was approved by 64 percent of voters, with only 32 percent of eligible voters participating in the poll.

The front, composed of several liberal parties, was formed in November to counter Islamist movements which had come to dominate the government and the Constituent Assembly. The NSF includes a number of liberal and secular leaders, including former presidential hopefuls Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa, and reformer Mohamed ElBaradei.

The opposition group had urged citizens to vote against the constitution draft in the two-day referendum, held on 15 and 22 December.

During the first day of voting on 15 December, the NSF alleged that violations and fraud were taking place. 


In a statement on Sunday, the group listed inadequate judicial supervision, delays in opening polling stations, polling stations closing before their schedule times, and workers in stations advising voters to cast a “yes” ballot among the violations that have been submitted to the Public Prosecution and High Judicial Elections Commission for investigation.

The NSF added that the Egyptian people did not respond to a misleading campaign implying that the referendum was a vote for or against Islamic Sharia, and stressed that it would continue to work for the interests and rights of Egyptians.
 

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Opposition member: Assembly’s invitation for talks ‘too late’

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December 19th, 2012

An opposition coalition member dismissed Wednesday an invitation from the Constituent Assembly to opposition leaders for a meeting on the controversial draft constitution as "too late."

The assembly's mandate expired when it finished drafting the constitution and it does not have the authority to invite National Salvation Front members for talks, said Ahmed Hassan al-Borai, vice president of the Constitution Party and secretary of the front.

The assembly on Tuesday invited leading opposition figures Mohamed ElBaradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi, Al-Sayed al-Badawy and Amr Moussa to voice their opinions on the draft during an open assembly session on Friday afternoon. But the belated invitation comes as half of the country has already voted on the document in a popular referendum, the second half of which is scheduled for Saturday.

Borai questioned, in statements to state news agency MENA, why the assembly was fostering dialogue after the referendum has already begun, even though it was long aware of opposition objections to the draft.

He also said that the National Salvation Front had asked President Mohamed Morsy to postpone the referendum two weeks, and added that the front now wants the constitution scrapped altogether. Asked why the front did not draft its own constitution as an alternative, Borai said that the coalition had chosen not do so to preserve the unity of Egyptians.

Borai, who is a former minister of manpower, said that the front set as conditions for dialogue the postponement of the referendum and the withdrawal of the president's November decree granting himself expanded powers. Any additional steps taken to undermine the judiciary or immunize the president's decisions from review would further complicate the situation, he said.

"We really hope the president will reconsider the situation and bring the people together," MENA quoted Borai as saying.

Asked about reports that the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau had issued a call for dialogue with different political powers, Borai said the front has not received any such request and that a proper invitation should not be extended on television.

Edited translation from MENA

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Moussa warns Morsy administration against continuing referendum

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December 18th, 2012

Former presidential candidate and Egyptian National Congress Party head Amr Moussa threatened a harsh reaction if the government insists on implementing measures harmful to Egypt, such as the draft constitution that is currently under referendum.

Moussa issued the statement on his Facebook page on Tuesday evening.

Political forces organized anti-referendum marches to the presidential palace and Tahrir Square today. Leading those forces was the National Salvation Front, a group of secular forces led by Moussa, former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi and Constitution Party leader Mohamed ElBaradei.

They demand the dissolution of the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly and the formation of a new body to draft a more representative constitution based on national consensus.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Constituent Assembly calls for dialogue with opposition figures

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December 18th, 2012

The Constituent Assembly has invited four leading opposition figures to discuss the controversial draft constitution in an open session on Friday at 2:30 pm, hours before the second round of voting begins in the constitutional referendum on Saturday.

Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei, Popular current leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, Wafd Party leader Al-Sayed al-Badawy and Conference Party head Amr Moussa were each invited to voice their opinions on the draft.

“As the Constituent Assembly is keen on relaying to the Egyptian people all different views and perspectives in complete transparency for them to decide what they deem best for the country, it invites you and the leaders of the national forces to present the objections to the draft constitution in a public dialogue,” the invitation said.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Shura Council.

The opposition has criticized the draft constitution for failing to preserve basic freedoms, promote social justice or inclusively represent Egyptian society. They argue it was authored by an Islamist-dominated body that does not reflect the diversity and the needs of the Egyptian people.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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FJP, opposition announce conflicting results on referendum

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December 16th, 2012

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the opposition Popular Current announced contradictory semifinal results in the first day of voting on the draft constitution.

The FJP's operations room reported that, based on results from 99 percent of polling stations from 10 governorates, the majority of voters in eight governorates approved the draft and the majority in two governorates rejected it. The party said that the document garnered 4,604,110 "yes" votes versus 3,539,994 "no" votes.

The party's statement was based on both judge's announcements and officially released results, it said.

Meanwhile, the Popular Current, founded by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, reported different results, saying that the constitution draft was rejected in four governorates and approved in six. The movement had joined other opposition forces in campaigning against the constitution, asserting that it was not representative of Egyptian society after the writing process was dominated by Islamists.

Both parties agreed that the constitution was rejected in Cairo and Gharbiya, although the FJP said 56.9 percent voted "no" in Cairo and 52.1 percent voted "no" in Gharbiya, while the Popular Current reported a "no" vote of 68 percent in Cairo and 56 percent in Gharbiya.

The Popular Current also claimed a landslide "no" vote of 72 percent in Alexandria, where the FJP said the constitution had been approved with a 55.5 percent "yes" vote, with only 44.4 percent of people saying "no."

The opposition party reported that the draft was rejected by 53 percent in Daqahlia, while the FJP numbers showed 55.1 percent voting "yes" in that governorate.

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National Salvation Front urges ‘no’ vote on constitution

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December 12th, 2012

The National Salvation Front is officially calling on the public to vote “no” in the constitution referendum scheduled for 15 and 22 December.

In a statement read by front leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, the group said that authorities must ensure a free and fair vote, stipulating that the referendum should take place over the course of a single day with full judicial supervision, while also calling for domestic, international and NGO teams to supervise the vote.

Additionally, the front called for polling places to be protected by security forces and said that electoral subcommittees should announce results immediately after polling, while warning that they would boycott the vote and urge the public to do the same if their demands were not met by the morning of the referendum.

The front stressed that it "will continue in its quest with the people in overthrowing this Constitution, and that this referendum is not the end, but the struggle will continue to attain the whole goals of the revolution."

In its statement, the front also said that it declined participating in a national dialogue with President Mohamed Morsy because of the lack of consensus over the constitution, while also claiming that Morsy ignored their earlier proposals to end ongoing political tension over the document.

Sabbahi also dismissed recent reports filed against him and Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei accusing them of sedition, saying, “We welcome any reports filed ​​against us and we will prove it all to be malicious. We're not thugs, and our people are to defend us.”

Sabbahi also called for a legal response to the threats made against front member Mohamed Abul Ghar.

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