Archive for Mohamed ElBaradei

Accusations against ElBaradei, Sabbahi and Moussa dropped

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December 29th, 2012

Al-Asqalani, who had filed a report accusing Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei, Popular Current head Hamdeen Sabbahi and former presidential candidate Amr Moussa of attempting to overthrow the regime, has withdrawn his complaint.

Asqalani, a member of the Freedoms Committee at the Lawyers Syndicate, said that he had filed the complaint at the time of the Ettehadeya Presidential Palace clashes that saw several people killed.

He said it was a dark time when Egyptian blood was being shed, and suggested that “everything that has happened may be part of a conspiracy against the country.” ‫

The plaintiff stressed that he respects all national forces who seek to uphold the principles of democracy, as he respects President Mohamed Morsy who himself recognizes the opposition and freedom of opinion.

There are four reasons Asqalani withdrew his complaint against the leading members of the National Salvation Front, Asqalani explained, pointing first to freedom of opinion and expression. Secondly, he said, the opposition had played a role in toppling the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, and thirdly, that they had helped make President Mohamed Morsy the first legitimate president elected in Egypt's ancient and modern history. Finally, Asqalani said, the opposition represent a safety valve to activate democracy in the new Egypt.

Edited translation from MENA

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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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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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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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Politicians react to early referendum results

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December 16th, 2012

Political figures had different reactions to the constitutional referendum after the end of the first phase on Saturday night, as preliminary results indicated more votes in favor of the draft than against.

The Freedom and Justice Party reported that semi-official results, based on 99.2 percent of polling stations, show 56.5 percent of voters approving the constitution and 43.5 percent rejecting it.

Prime Minister Hesham Qandil posted on Facebook Sunday to thank everyone, especially judges, the Armed Forces and police, that contributed to ensuring that the first phase of the referendum was civilized.

Qandil added that voter turnout reflects the Egyptian people’s spirit of responsibility.

Initial results estimate voter turnout at around 30 percent of eligible voters.

Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei, who also leads the opposition National Salvation Front, tweeted on Sunday, “The nation gets more divided and the state pillars are falling.”

Mohamed Adel, a leading member of the April 6 Youth Movement, said the percentage of voters who rejected the constitution, 44 percent, is high, and stressed that there is a great split in the Egyptian street over the draft.  

This percentage shattered the dreams of Islamists and Muslim Brotherhood, according to Adel, after nearly half of the Egyptian people rejected the draft constitution.

The movement released a statement saying that it would continue to call on citizens to vote “no.”

“Members of the movement have begun to intensify their activities and they are confident in their ability to reject the draft constitution,” it said.

“It is unreasonable in a respectable country that a constitution could be passed with almost a 44 percent rate of rejection,” Adel added. “It is a very high percentage, even when only 31 percent of those eligible participated, and despite violations by the Islamist current and attempts to convince voters to choose 'yes.'"

Freedom and Justice Party Vice President Essam al-Erian wrote on Facebook, “Members of the FJP and the Muslim Brotherhood, and all forces that voted against blocking the revolution, stood with progress, ongoing development, stability and building new Egyptian constitutional institutions.” He called on citizens to rest and reflect on the first phase, considering the outcome.

“Egypt speaks for itself and no one has the right to speak on its behalf,” Erian concluded.

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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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ElBaradei appointed general coordinator of opposition group, threatens nationwide protests

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December 5th, 2012

Nobel Laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, in his new position as general coordinator of the National Salvation Front, threatened nationwide protests until President Mohamed Morsy responds to calls for national dialogue over the new constitutional and the most recent constitutional declaration.

The leader of the popular current Hamden Sabbahi announced Tuesday night that front decided to appoint Mohamed ElBaradei as the general coordinator for the front.

ElBaradei’s warning came at a press conference Tuesday night attended by the leaders of the National Salvation Front; Hamden Sabbahi, and Amr Moussa.

The National Salvation Front is a coalition of political powers opposing Morsy’s 22 November constitutional declaration, which gave him the ability to override judicial decisions. The front brings together Mohamed ElBaradei of the Constitution Party, Hamdeen Sabbahi of the Popular Current Party, Amr Moussa of the Conference Party, Al-Sayed al-Badawy of the Wafd Party, and other political figures.

ElBaradei held Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood group responsible for the violent clashes at the presidential palace in Heliopolis between pro and anti-Morsy protesters.

“Egyptians will protests in every place, and use all legitimate measures, and won't back down from this battle we began for freedom,” ElBaradei said.

The National Salvation Front met Wednesday evening to discuss the proposals of Vice President Ahmed Mekky that he raised in a press conference earlier the same day.

Ahram Online said the front would also discuss ways to step up protests after President Mohamed Morsy ignored their demands to dissolve the Constituent Assembly and the Constitutional Declaration.

The State-owned Nile News channel said that the meeting, which is currently being held, is addressing the clashes at the presidential palace. The channel speculated the meeting would end with a decision about  the current situation.

Mekky had earlier said the Constitutional Declaration would not be cancelled, and appealed to all political forces to participate in the referendum and hold a dialogue on the controversial articles of the new constitution.

The front said in a statement last night that it is giving the president until Friday to meet the demands, otherwise the civil forces would declare him illegitimate.

The statement said the mass demonstrations nationwide are proof that the president would not be able to divide Egyptian society.

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Update: Journalists join Tahrir protests against draft constitution

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December 4th, 2012

A march of journalists arrived in Tahrir Square at sunset on Tuesday to join protesters there, as marches from Shubra and Mohandiseen were expected to reach the square soon.

Prominent opposition figures Mohamed ElBaradei and Hamdeen Sabbahi are not expected to participate in tonight’s protests.

Ahmed Darrag, a Constitution Party leader, said that ElBaradei told the party’s leadership that he would not participate because he is fatigued after taking part in several marches and meetings over the past days.

Popular Current leader Mohamed Suleiman said that Sabbahi would not attend the march because he does not want to be accused of attempting to topple the president. Sabbahi respects the president but seeks the cancellation of the new constitutional declaration, Suleiman added.

Hundreds of journalists and other protesters had earlier demonstrated in front of the Journalists Syndicate to express their rejection of the articles on journalism and freedoms in the new constitution, scheduled to be put to a nationwide referendum on 15 December.

The protesters chanted, “Down with the rule of the [Muslim Brotherhood] supreme guide,” and “The people want to bring down the regime.”


The protesters also raised banners reading, “Absolute power corrupts” and, “The Journalists Syndicate rejects the articles on freedom and journalism in the constitution.”


The Journalists Syndicate board said in a statement that it rejects a call issued by Shura Council Speaker Ahmed Fahmy, who is also the head of the Supreme Press Council, for the chief editors of state-owned, partisan and private papers to meet to discuss the controversial articles in the draft constitution.

Describing the articles of the draft constitution as catastrophic, the statement said the call is only a ploy to bestow the new constitution with legitimacy.


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Former Coptic aide to Morsy joins opposition front

by admin
December 1st, 2012

 

A top aide to President Mohamed Morsy, who quit when the leader issued a decree expanding his powers, has joined the country's biggest opposition movement, a senior opposition figure said on Friday.

Samir Morcos was Morsy's adviser on the transition to democracy and the only Christian in the Islamist leader's team.

He is one of at least two presidential advisers to have stepped down since Morsy issued the decree on 22 November that made his decisions immune to legal challenge.

The president's opponents see the move as a power grab that threatens Egypt's nascent democracy.

Morcos only learned the details of the decree when it was read out on state television, he told the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper this week.

Without waiting for Morsy to approve his resignation, Morcos joined the National Salvation Front "and is now sitting beside me in a meeting," opposition leader Ahmed Said told Reuters.

Morcos did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

The Front has led calls for protests against the decree and tens of thousands gathered for a rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, some chanting "The people want to bring down the regime."

The opposition movement, which includes former Arab League Chief Amr Moussa and opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei, has called for broader civil disobedience to fight what it describes as an attempt to "kidnap Egypt from its people."

Morsy says the decree is designed to speed up the democratic transition and will lapse as soon as Egyptians vote on a new constitution.

In an attempt to end the crisis, an Islamist-led assembly raced through approval of the constitution on Friday and plans to send it to Morsy for him to ratify and put to a popular vote.

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