(AFP File Photo)
Former presidential candidate, Hamdeen Sabahy, proposed an initiative on Saturday, stating that he would support any presidential hopeful who adopted its components.
Sabahy said the ten-point initiative, which he presented in a ceremony honouring former member of the Kefaya Movement Yehia Hussein Abdel Hady, was part of his “commitment as a possible presidential candidate” and would be the central focus of his campaign.
The first two points of the initiative, named “Egypt’s future”, called for the achieving of the “objectives of the 25 January and 30 June revolutions” through national cohesion and “empowerment of the youth”, and the application of “transitional justice”.
Al-Tayar Al-Sha’aby’s (Popular Current) founder called for “guaranteeing the rights” of those killed and injured and the establishment of programs that would provide aid to victims “without political discrimination.”
He also called for the “comprehensive purge of local municipalities and the state apparatus” of corruption, and measures to crackdown on misuse of public funds, implementing transparent standards through “ending bureaucratic inflation”.
Sabahy’s fourth point demanded a “commitment to democracy and pluralism” that would “safeguard freedom for peaceful demonstrations, strikes and sit-ins,” putting an end to “repressive practices and human rights violations,” also calling for the restricting of the state apparatus in a way that would “fulfill its substantial crucial role in the fight against terrorist groups.”
The former presidential candidate also called for “social justice and human dignity” through projects that would include providing aid to street children, the raising of living standards, and applying a progressive system of taxation and “fair distribution of revenue”.
The Nasserist politician also included the “restoration of national independence” in his initiative, along with the country’s “liberation from the pressures of the US administration” and other foreign powers, also recommending the end of “begging for loans and foreign aid” and implementing military sovereignty over Egypt’s land.
Sabahy also demanded the “maintaining” of Egypt’s water resources from the Nile and facing “all aggressions on them”. His seventh point in the initiative called for the development of nuclear power generation, other alternative energy sources, and the “establishment of an independent advanced weapons industry” that would support the manufacturing of satellites and long-range missiles.
The initiative also focused on the “priority of science and technology to provide an added value to the national economy,” through reformulating related curricula and increasing the budget for scientific research by about five times.
Sabahy’s final point was built on “restoring Egypt’s leading role in the Arab nation, the African continent, and the Islamic world,” adding that the country could achieve this through building its strength in the fields of arms industry, security, and energy resources while creating stronger ties with other developing countries.
He suggested that the initiative would work as a rallying point for public figures that could join it to “achieve a broader national agreement”.
Sabahy, who finished third in the first round of the 2012 presidential elections, has not committed to a definite answer concerning whether or not he will participate in the upcoming presidential poll. In November he said he would run for president under the condition that “a national consensus” is achieved regarding his candidacy.
Earlier this week Al-Tayar Al-Sha’aby released a statement denying that Sabahy had decided against running for president, saying his final decision was still “under study” with various political parties and national groups. The coalition added that it was determined to work with other groups to agree upon a single presidential candidate who was seen as “revolutionary” and would “build a state of bread, freedom, social justice, and human dignity”.
