Sabbahi promises to restore the right to demonstrate in Egypt

Hamdin Sabbahi, progressive candidate for president of Egypt, was received on Monday afternoon as a hero by hundreds of enthusiastic supporters in Zagazig, a town in the Nile Delta “The president is here! ” Rumbled the room where held a rally though is his only opponent, Abdelfattá al- Sisi, a former defense minister, the favorite to prevail in the elections that will take place on 26 and 27 May. Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, all winners of elections post- revolutionary Egypt, not to participate in the elections have been outlawed.

The Nasserist political had to wait more than fifteen minutes to cease cheering on your honor to begin his speech. “I promise to repeal the demonstrations, which is contrary to the Constitution. One thing is to regulate the right to demonstrate, and a ban, ” cried Sabbahi, prompting one of the loudest ovations of the evening election. This legislation, passed in November, the Interior Ministry granted the ability to ban any demonstration and collects severe prison sentences for anyone who violates it. In its application, were sentenced to three years in prison several famous revolutionary activists like Ahmed Maher.

Among the attendees were predominantly young, unlike what happens in the events organized by the campaign of Sisi, mean older. In many instances, more than a rally, the act seemed a football game. Pounding drums, a group of kids werent Sabbahi often chanting chants adapted to regular pitch in the Arab states: ” Right or Left we like you Hamdin”. Many attendees wore one shirt with the image of the politician, whose campaign slogan is “one of us”.

Markedly nationalist ideology, Sabbahi praised the Egyptian army, while he marked the spot: “The work of the Armed Forces is to protect the country… They should not get into politics or support any particular candidate or party.” Although Egypt has an interim civilian government, many observers argue that the ultimate power resides in the Army since deposed Islamist Mohamed Morsi in summer. “My goal is the implementation of a civil, democratic state, in which freedoms are respected. That was the dream of the Revolution, “said Sabbahi.

For now, the team has to Sisi deaf ear to the request to make a televised debate between the two candidates. This campaign is still quite strange. With two weeks, the retired quarterback has not yet submitted its electoral program, and it is unclear when. Also, for security reasons you have not yet participated in a single election rally (says she has suffered two assassination attempts). His only communication strategy with the public has been limited to grant television interviews always delayed broadcast.

Without their presence, on Saturday organized a campaign rally in Cairo’s Medinat Nasr neighborhood that was a fiasco. At first, intended to fill the Cairo International Book with 20,000 souls. However, at the last minute, its leaders moved the event to a more modest scenario: an esplanade within the precinct conventions. Finally, only about 4,000 people attended, many of them coming by bus from other provinces of Egypt.

“As the campaign progresses, we want more. In recent days, many people have come to our country after seeing the TV interviews of both candidates, “said Samah Zidan, a volunteer Young Sabbahi present in Zagazig. Despite the climate of optimism that permeates the campaign bus, bias concerned state institutions for the Sisi. “They are not independent. This was not so in the other elections, 2012. Worst are the media, offering very biased information, “the coordinator Aqrab Hossam, a veteran of previous elections complains, which was the third Sabbahi most votes.

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Posted by Jamshed Sindhu on May 15 2014. Filed under Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.