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Could Sisi unite Egypt's opposition? |
Opposition groups look to build unified
|
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/sisi-unite-egypt-opposition-20146875540616409.html
Egypt’s new president, former army chief
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, inherits a divided nation at a time when his popularity
is in decline. Sworn in on Sunday in
a ceremony watched by millions of Egyptians, Sisi will likely go
unchallenged as the country's opposition forces remain divided but defiant.
While ongoing street protests, led primarily
by Muslim Brotherhood supporters, since the military takeover in July 2013
failed to attract other segments of the opposition, including liberal and youth
groups like the April 6th movement, opposition leaders say it is now time to
close ranks.
"What is needed is not a full unity, or
integration of all pro-revolution groups. We want to build a network and to
coordinate among the various political groups despite their differences and
mistakes," Ayman Nour, a liberal politician who ran against former
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2005, told Al Jazeera.
We want to build a network and to coordinate among the various political groups despite their differences and mistakes. |
focus on forming "a united front made of all pro-revolution forces, that
participated in the January 25 revolution, a front that will seek, among other
goals, to challenge the coup".
Egypt votes for President
as the April 6th movement, the Revolutionary Socialists, and the Misr al-Qawia
(Strong Egypt) party - supported the June 30, 2013 protests against former
President Mohamed Morsi. They called on Morsi to hold early elections, before
he was removed from power in a military coup a few days later, in July 2013.
Despite their growing criticism of the new
government under Sisi, the opposition has not been able to overcome its
differences with the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters, who are now
gathered under the so-called "pro-legitimacy coalition".
Amr Ali, general coordinator of the April 6th
movement, one of Egypt’s leading pro-revolution youth groups, told Al Jazeera:
"We need time, and we need every group to rethink its stands and show
evidence of goodwill. Our relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood over the
last three years show that the Brotherhood is always flexible in times of
hardship."
While the April 6th movement initially
supported the June 30 protests, its relationship with the regime that suceeded
Morsi gradually deteriorated. Under Egypt's interim government, two of the
group's founders, Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel, were sentenced to three years
in jail for violating an anti-protest law. In April,
the group was declared an illegal
organisation, and its members boycotted the presidential elections last month.
"We don’t accept an alternative to [the]
fulfillment of the principles of the January 25 revolution. But, we are against
Morsi’s return to power in clear terms," Ali said.
Haitham Mohamedain, a member of the political
bureau of the Revolutionary Socialists, told Al Jazeera that his group is
working with others, such as April 6th and Misr al-Qawia, to "bring down
the regime and to help achieve the goals of the January 25 revolution based on
a shared political agenda".
He criticised the Muslim Brotherhood and its pro-legitimacy
coalition as being too occupied with their attempt to "restore Morsi’s
legitimacy". "The pro-legitimacy coalition did not issue a single
statement about the country’s social and economic problems since the military
coup. All slogans raised by the coalition are political and related to Morsi’s
return to power," Mohamedain said.
The Revolutionary Socialists participated incoalition as being too occupied with their attempt to "restore Morsi’s
legitimacy". "The pro-legitimacy coalition did not issue a single
statement about the country’s social and economic problems since the military
coup. All slogans raised by the coalition are political and related to Morsi’s
return to power," Mohamedain said.
the presidential elections and backed Hamdeen Sabahi, Sisi's only competitor.
Official statements issued by the group labelled Sisi as "the leader of
the counter revolution".
Egypt
97 percent of the vote at the end of May. His victory was marred by low voter
turnout, however, and an abrupt decision by the electoral committee to extend the vote for an extra
day beyond the scheduled two election days.
The pro-legitimacy coalition did not issue a single statement about the country’s social and economic problems since the military coup. All slogans raised by the coalition are political and related to Morsi’s return to power. |
revolutionaries," Gamal Abd al-Sattar, a professor at Al Azhar university
and senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, told Al Jazeera. "The pro
revolution groups united in their rejection of the elections."
Abd al-Sattar added that Sisi’s presidential
victory will make him officially "responsible" for any mistakes
committed by the government. "Sisi used to work from behind the scenes. He
used to hide behind the military and state institutions. Now, he will be held
responsible for everything," he said.
Other Muslim Brotherhood leaders were more
defiant in the face of Sisi's victory. "If we are to sit down and
negotiate, we cannot sit down with the killers," said Gamal Heshmat, a
senior Muslim Brotherhood member and former member of parliament, referring to
the death of pro-Morsi protesters during sit-in camps in Cairo and Giza last
August.
"We cannot give up some demands, such as
justice for those killed, releasing all the detainees, canceling all unjust
court rulings, and no military intervention into politics," Heshmat told
Al Jazeera.
Still, Egypt's opposition forces lack a clear
action plan to challenge the new government.
"The general public... is not interested
in joining the protests and prefer instead to focus on the status of the
economy. [The] time is not suitable for protests," Ali, from the April 6th
movement, said.
Mohamed al-Mohandes, a member of the
political bureau of the Misr al-Qawia party, feared that an economic crisis may
push Sisi to crack down on the opposition. In response, he said that his party
is trying to reach out to other pro-revolution groups.
"The regime will bring [together] the
various [opposition] political forces. If they don’t come closer voluntarily,
they might be forced [by government oppression] to do so."
COMMENT:
The person who took over as the
President of Egypt is immediately faced with huge Financial, Economical and
Energy frustrating serious crises/problems. And his Sweet dreams of becoming
the country's President would in no time vanish like magic.
Under
such a situation the country would get hot enough when it would be ready for
only to lit a match stick and the entire country would start burning as if
petrol was pour into the fire.
We
know Saudi Arab would be trying to help it, question is how many time it would
help. This person would have no alternate than to leak the boots of Israel and
buy Energy from it at a very high price.
Then
Who would pay back the loan which it self is very heavy amount. Israel might
demand waiver of its own loan before supplying energy to Egypt. Russia his
dearest friend has trousers taken off by West and EU so who else is left.
Then
containing the law and order situation under this politically lacerated
conditions would be extremely difficult for him and ultimately what would
happen is what God would desire to happen.
Please
wait and see how God punishes the sinners.
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