Hamdeen Sabbahi, former Nasserite candidate for president and now representing the National Salvation Front, says the FJP government lacks legitimacy. Egypt is facing a deeper economic crisis., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Rebel intensifies efforts amid 'crackdown' from Brotherhood
Ahram Online , Tuesday 18 Jun 2013
Following 'Rebel Week' initiative, Rebel campaign will announce results of signature drive spearheaded by Sabbahi's Egyptian Popular Current
The Rebel campaign will receive on Tuesday anti-Morsi signatures collected by the Egyptian Popular Current, the campaign's official website stated.
During a Tuesday press conference at the Egyptian Popular Current's HQ, the campaign will announce the number of signatures collected, which it expects to exceed one million. The Egyptian Popular Current, led by prominent opposition figure Hamdeen Sabbahi, is one of a number of parties from the National Salvation Front (NSF) which has given its support to 'Rebel.'
The announcement follows a recent escalation by the campaign in what they call 'Rebel Week,' which aims to collect signatures from Upper Egypt's governorates. Upper Egypt has been notably excluded from previous anti-Morsi and anti-army campaigns. 'Rebel' organisers also met with a number of tribal leaders in South Sinai to get their support.
The campaign organised a conference in Monofiya last Monday to publicise their cause.
"Monofiya is a city of more than two million 'Rebels'," Rebel spokesman Mahmoud Badr commented. No official number has been released.
The electricity went out during the Monoufiya conference, which the organisers managed to restore using electric generators. The Rebel campaign called the incident a 'crackdown' from the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, believes the Rebel cause is illegitimate because the call for early elections has no legal basis.
There have been several clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood and Rebel organisers across Egyptian governorates. Both sides have reported injuries.
The campaign has been meeting with constitutional and legal experts to discuss how to notarise Rebel signature forms before submitting them to the High Constitutional Court.
The campaign has also finalised their plans for the 30 June demonstrations. In Upper Egypt's governorates, Rebel supporters will protest in front of government buildings and in public squares, whereas Greater Cairo residents will demonstrate in front of the presidential palace.
The Rebel campaign was initiated last May with the aim to collect 15 million signatures, outnumbering the roughly 13.2 million votes with which Morsi won Egypt's first free presidential election one year ago.
In late May, the Rebel campaign announced that it had already collected seven million signatures. These numbers are expected to have increased since the start of 'Rebel Week.'
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/74330.aspx
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