(File Photo)
(DNE/ Mohamed Omar)
The National Salvation Front (NSF) welcomed the decision of several of its component parties to merge and announced it will launch a satellite television channel.
In a Tuesday press conference the largest opposition group, a coalition of secular political parties and groups, reaffirmed its decision to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections as final.
Front leaders dismissed claims that any of its component parties would be contesting the elections alone, calling them unsubstantiated rumours intended to sabotage the NSF’s unity and image.
“The National Salvation Front reaffirms its decision to boycott the upcoming House of Representatives elections that were forced by the ruling regime after it refused all attempts by national forces to salvage the country. The president has even ignored the outcomes of his own sham national dialogue,” the group said in a statement.
Independent NSF member Wahid Abdel Meguid added that the Supreme Electoral Commission had announced it received no recommendation from the presidency following the national dialogue held to discuss guarantees on the transparency of the elections. NSF boycotted that meeting.
He said President Mohamed Morsi was pursuing a strategy of “facts on the ground” whereby he does whatever he wants, ignoring everyone else, then calls for dialogue and negotiations after carrying out his preferred course of action.
“The Front also warns against the continuing spilling of Egyptian blood in Port Said, Daqahleya, Cairo, Gharbeya, and all other Egyptian cities. The regime is confused and dismissive of this violence, choosing to focus only on further empowering the Muslim Brotherhood,” the statement went on.
NSF leaders also condemned the police campaign of torture, killing and arrests conducted against protesters and the silence of Prosecutor General Tala’at Abdallah, appointed by President Morsi in November. The NSF has repeatedly demanded Abdallah’s removal.
They also announced the launching of a satellite television channel in order to acts as “a mouthpiece wherein the Front will propose its economic, social and political alternatives”. NSF leaders also announced a political and media campaign calling on Egyptians to boycott the elections. Details of the campaign will be announced in the next few days.
Finally, NSF leaders affirmed their four main demands: dismissing Prime Minister Hesham Qandil’s government and appointing a neutral and competent cabinet, dismissing the prosecutor general, a constitutional review committee to amend the “flawed” constitution, and a new election law that guarantees the fairness and transparency of the upcoming polls.
“If these demands are not met we would be complicit in the building of a regime not so different from the one the Egyptian people rose up against two years ago. The National Salvation Front will not participate in deceiving the Egyptian people or take part in a fake democracy,” the statement continued.
