Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



ElBaradei to regime: ''It''s time to pack your bags and go''
Published in Almasry Alyoum on 09 - 09 - 2010

Ending months of speculation, opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei has called for a blanket boycott of upcoming Egyptian parliamentary elections by all opposition groups.
Speaking at a gathering of young supporters Wednesday night in Moqattam, ElBaradei said political restrictions in place under long-serving President Hosni Mubarak make it impossible to work for reform from within the system.
“We're working in the context of an illegitimate political system,” he said. “The regime hasn't responded to any of our demands.”
Instead he is rallying Egypt's often deeply divided opposition forces around the idea of a mass public boycott. “That will be a message to the regime that it's time to pack your bags and go,” he said. “The people will have said ‘You don't represent us.' ”
Since July, volunteers from ElBaradei's National Association for Change have been gathering signatures in support of a seven-point list of reform demands, including the end of Egypt's long-standing state of martial law, the establishment of international polling place monitors and the elimination of constitutional obstacles to an independent presidential candidacy. The reforms would require the rewriting of three separate articles of the constitution.
The signature campaign received a significant boost when the powerful Muslim Brotherhood announced it would lend its considerable grassroots weight to the effort. Now with ElBaradei claiming that the campaign is approaching 1 million signatures, he appears to be moving into a more forceful and confrontational stance.
“Change is coming, nobody can doubt that,” he said. “The road ahead of us is long but we must continue.”
In addition to the parliamentary boycott, ElBaradei has made hints about launching a campaign of massive civil disobedience. He insisted Wednesday that any such campaign, would be “conducted in a civilized way” but made it clear that his movement was willing to shake the regime's stability with mass peaceful demonstrations.
“If we go down to the streets, we want that to be the first time and the last time,” he said. “I'm optimistic that we will achieve change and we will do it in a civilized way.”
The government has largely ignored ElBaradei's reform campaign, giving him minimal coverage in state-owned newspapers. Earlier this summer, senior National Democratic Party spokesman Ali Eddin Hilal made an indirect reference to his movement, saying it would be “a mockery” to alter the constitution to suit the demands of one political group.
The prospect of a boycott has been a steady topic of political debate for months. But securing total opposition participation in the boycott could prove difficult for ElBaradei.
The Muslim Brotherhood has remained non-committal, with leaders saying the issue was still being debated internally. The Brotherhood is banned from forming a political party and subject to periodic crackdowns and mass arrests, but it secured a surprising 20 percent of parliament seats in 2005 elections, running its members as nominal independents. The Wafd Party, Egypt's oldest opposition group, has also indicated it would prefer to contest the upcoming vote, scheduled for early November.
ElBaradei said his movement intends to continue with its signature drive as a means of proving that his reform demands are backed by a massive popular mandate. He said he hopes to gather “5 million or 10 million before the presidential elections,” scheduled for fall 2011.
President Hosni Mubarak, in power for 29 years, has not yet indicated whether he will seek a fifth 6-year term. ElBaradei has also not declared his candidacy, saying he would only run if the constitution were altered to allow him to run as an independent candidate.


Clic here to read the story from its source.