English

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SAVE EGYPT FRONT
After nearly a quarter of a century under the despotic rule of President Mubarak, Egypt has reached a state of political stagnancy and impasse, as a result of severe governmental suppression, martial law and emergency laws. This state has never before been experienced in Egyptian history. The patience of the Egyptian people has inevitably run out, when Mubarak aspires to extend his rule for another six years, before passing on the ‘throne’ to his son. His son’s political and administrative role has greatly increased over the past few years. This may be a part of his grooming as the future ruler of Egypt. The President seems to believe that his son is the only legitimate claimant to the throne of Egypt after him.
In a desperate attempt to improve the image of his government through artificial cosmetic surgery and to gain some more time, Mubarak told the Parliament on the 26th of January to amend the 76th clause of the constitution allowing multiplicity of candidates in presidential elections, ostensibly to give the impression of open and fair elections. But it soon became clear that the promised amendment was no more than a yet another ploy to hold on to yet more power leading to more suppression and usurping ever more control. Since then a spate of several debilitating and humiliating conditions and rules have been added to the amendment to make it virtually toothless and of little practical significance or meaning. These measures are aimed at making sure that only those who are in the good books of the regime and acceptable would actually be able to compete in presidential elections if any at all. The irony is that while all this is going on, Mubarak stubbornly continues to:
• Delay any real constitutional or political reform.
• Abolish the 24 year old state of irrational emergency.
• Refuse to release the political detainees or improve the conditions of human rights.
• Deny independence to the judiciary to discharge its functions freely.
• Refuse to lift restrictions on forming political parties and allow political and public activities, even social relief and sometimes humanitarian activities are disallowed except for cosmetic purposes or as a P.R. exercise.
• Refuse to remove the constraints on the media and allow freedom of opinion and _expression.
• Govern Egypt with the help of the same few old faces (cronies) who have usurped the legitimate rights of the people for the last two to three decades and of whom they people desperately cry to get rid of the sooner the better.
Egypt today stands at the crossroads, and faces a real historical challenge: Will it be the continuation of the present sick and sickening regime with all its attendant horrors, stagnancy, corruption, suppression and dictatorship, or will the Egyptian people rise to the occasion and respond to the political challenges facing them both from within and from outside? To rescue their country from this unbearable and ghastly situation, which has become a real threat to its security posing serious challenges both internally and internationally: A threat to the identity of the country and Egyptian people.
A country like Egypt with its proud history and position in the comity of nations deserves a better government. One that will restore normalcy to the country enhance the strength and prestige of the state and restore freedom of opinion, _expression human dignity and rights to the people and function in a truly democratic manner and in a spirit of mutual consultation, respect and justice and peace for all, providing them with opportunities for their material, economic, growth and developments as well as for their moral and spiritual welfare and well-being.
As Egyptians living abroad, we believe, we represent a vital part of the nation, and we are naturally deeply concerned with the current political, economical and social situation prevalent in our homeland. We stand in no need for anyone to tell us to fulfill our duties as Egyptians toward our nation and country; nor do we need anyone’s permission for it: it is our human, moral and lawful right and obligation to do whatever we can to improve social, political and human condition of our fellow country men and women.
With this purpose in view, we have come together and established the ”Save Egypt Front” as a political and national organization to bring together all elements of overseas opposition to help save Egypt from its present brutal and corrupt regime and to steer it towards a better future. We demand and stand for:
1. Real and genuine political and constitutional reform that liberates the energies of the people, restores their dignity and empowers them to achieve sound and real development.
2. Creation of a country that respects law, a country with established institutions and recognized freedoms and equitable opportunity for all by replacing the current one man, one party rule a system riddled with corruption and multifarious diseases.
3. Freedom of establishing Political Parties, Unions and Charity Organizations, within the framework of the constitution, prescribed laws and rules and guaranteed by law.
4. Freedom of _expression and opinion, freedom of ownership of media, as well as the freedom to assemble and demonstrate according to recognized rules set and protected by the law.
5. Complete independence of the judicial system, to ensure equitable treatment of all and to safeguard human rights and freedoms and to combat corruption. We wholeheartedly support the lawful demands of the judges to protect their judicial authority from the interference of the establishment and governmental authorities. We laud and fully support their just and timely call concerning the prevalent corruption and the corrupt establishment.
6. Free and fair presidential, parliamentary and local (council) elections.
But these objectives can never be achieved as long as Mubarak regime is in power a regime based on rigged elections, suppressed freedoms and denial of human dignity to its people. The present establishment has shown that it is incapable of undertaking any reform since it has wasted all opportunities to do so in the last 24 years of its despotic hold on the country; it has so far singly failed to show any improvement in the social political and economic life of its people.
The Front therefore demands that the powers should be transferred as soon as possible to a transitional national council, comprising of the heads of the Supreme Administrative Courts; and the Supreme Constitutional Court and some from the legislative Councils.
The function of this interim Council will be to prepare suitable conditions in the country conducive to holding fair and free presidential and parliamentary elections and to elect a parliament authorized to redraft a permanent constitution for the country free of its present anomalies and injustices.
The Front to Save Egypt will co-operate and work in association with all interested Egyptian groups, organizations and the establishment wherever required, both inside as well as outside Egypt, to achieve the above objectives in a peaceful political climate, by lawful and constitutional means ensuring to save Egypt from foreign interference. We are not against co-operation, we welcome cooperation, with other Powers and world Agencies but we are against hegemony.
In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of the overseas Egyptians estimated to be over six million, and whose economic contribution to the wealth of their country far exceeds all American aid and the revenue from the Suez Canal put together. But despite this huge contribution the overseas Egyptians have been consistently ignored and marginalized by the Mubarak regime. They also continue to suffer oppression and humiliation by the regime and its agencies. They left their country but reluctantly to flee injustice and persecution in foreign lands that offered them peace and humane.
We therefore demand:
1. Overseas Egyptians be granted the right to vote in the coming presidential and parliamentary elections as a part of the package securing their right to participate in the political process of their country. For this purpose the overseas Egyptians should be provided with opportunity to cast their votes through the Embassies and Consulates of the Republic under the supervision of judges or independent bodies or both.
2. To end the long standing legal dispute over the right of Egyptians with dual nationalities to enjoy all their political rights in their country, including the right to stand in parliamentary elections and to participate in the establishment of political parties and charity organizations. The overseas Egyptians are a valuable part of Egypt’s political life, and it does not make sense that an Egyptian citizen with a dual nationality is allowed to stand in elections in London or Liverpool but he is disallowed this right  to stand in elections or to cast vote in Cairo or Tanta!!
Does it make any sense that the law allows ministers or others to have dual nationalities, while they are in positions of extremely sensitive significance regarding national security? Does it make sense that someone like Mr Gamal Mubarak, the son of Hosni Mubarak who has a dual nationality, is the Head of the Political committee of the ruling National Party? This law has a loophole that allows people with dual nationalities to potentially stand for political elections, but at the same time it bars those who aspire for a seat in the representative assembly of the country! Whoever said that dual nationality means double loyalty? Does it make sense that the whole system is under International Hegemony and frightens people from overseas institutions?
1. There are thousands of Egyptians and their families, forbidden to have new passports or renew their old passports and the law provides no help or remedy for them or redresses their grievances.
2. There are hundreds of thousands of other Egyptians who have stopped visiting Egypt for many years, as a result of the bad treatment they get at the hands of the national security forces at the ports of entry because of the strategy of having long lists of suspects barred from entering the country. Sometimes some people whose names happen to be similar to those on the suspects list are caught up in this security process and they receive harsh treatment after which few of them dare even think of visiting their country again.
The ”Save Egypt Front” is not a political party neither is it an ideological or a religious organization. It is a front for all Egyptians living abroad regardless of their political or religious beliefs; its purpose is to bring about a genuine change and reform the national conditions.
Neither is ”Save Egypt Front” a replica of any past attempts of Arab’s opposition abroad; the Front refuses to be a tool that can be used to bring any harm or invite outside foreign interference in the affairs of our country.
Our call to reform and improve conditions is an internal matter and solely for the honest and upright Egyptians to resolve. We appeal to the all the world powers to stop interfering with Egypt’s internal affairs, by direct or indirect support for the corrupt and oppressive Mubarak regime bent on silencing the voice of the people crying for freedom and fresh air.
The Front acknowledges and appreciates the welcome its formation and mission statement has received from the masses of Egyptian people and politicians; they have described it as a momentous moment in Egypt’s history. We also understand and acknowledge and are fully in agreement with many of the sincere advice and suggestions that we have received from brothers and sisters inside and outside Egypt.
We are at the same time surprised at the way a brutal campaign has been launched against the Front by some journalists and media people consisting mostly accusations insults, defamation and aspersions of treachery. This is painful and heart aching for those sincerely aspiring to reform and improve the conditions of life in their country. Our journalist friends seem to be re-living past world of fantasy political gimmicks to silence anyone daring to speak out or demand their legitimate rights.
Albeit all this, we will not let this immoral behaviour stand in the way of achieving what is best for the people through the honest and sincere political powers, so that we can have a better tomorrow, by the will of God.
It is God, whom we try to please through all this, and it is in Him that we repose our trust for guidance and light. Those who go away from His way are the losers.