The Revolutionary Socialists Movement confirms its
opposition on principle to the candidate of the Military Council, the dissolved National Democratic Party, and the
forces of the counter-revolution, Ahmad Shafiq, who has managed to reach the
second round of the presidential elections to face the candidate of the Muslim
Brotherhood, Dr Mohammed Morsi, thanks to a massive mobilisation by the
counter-revolutionary camp, which deployed the full, organised force of the
resources at its command: the repressive apparatus of the state, the media, and
the business interests standing behind Shafiq.
His success reflects the smear campaigns,
systematic repression and intimidation of the social and popular forces which
peaked before the election and were expressed in the dregs of the old regime
daring to run in the election, combined with the inability of the reformist and
revolutionary forces to unite in a political front to prevent their candidacy.
Finally it also reflects the failure of the candidates affiliated with the
revolution to unite behind a single candidate clearly expressing the programme
of the revolution as we recently warned.
On the other hand, the Revolutionary Socialists
Movement welcomes the accomplishment of the millions of voters from the poor,
the workers, the peasants, employees, the Copts, the unemployed and the youth
of the revolution who backed Hamdeen Sabbahi. He competed strongly for second
place with Shafiq, scoring 21.2% of the total votes cast and coming third by a
narrow margin. This reflects the great weight of support among the popular
forces, the forces supporting the project of the revolution and the forces
aligned with the Left for a programme which addresses both social issues and
the question of civil democracy, thus allowing the construction of a front of
the militant left which has a wide popularity in the Egyptian street.
We stress our full support for all moves aimed at
the verification of instances of fraud which were carried out against Sabbahi
and for efforts to apply the law of political exclusion to the criminal Ahmad
Shafiq.
We are deeply convinced of the role of the masses
as the most effective and influential force and guarantor in all the battles of
democracy, which they won the right to participate in through their great
revolutionary struggle, for which they offered martyrs and injured from the
beginning of the revolution until today. We are also convinced that the victory
of Shafiq in the second round of the elections will be a great loss to the
revolution, a powerful blow against its democratic and social gains, and will
give a golden opportunity to the preparations of the counter-revolution for a
more brutal and extensive revenge attack under the slogan of “restore security
to the street within days”.
We therefore call on all the reformist and
revolutionary forces and the remainder of the revolutionary candidates to form
a national front which stands against the candidate of counter-revolution, and
demands that the Muslim Brotherhood declares its commitment to the following:
Formation of a presidential coalition which
includes Hamdeen Sabbahi and Abd-al-Moneim Abu-al-Fotouh as Vice-Presidents.
The selection of a Prime Minister from outside the
ranks of the Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party and the formation of
a government across the whole political spectrum in which the Copts are
represented.
The approval of a law on trade union freedoms which
clearly supports the pluralism and independence of the workers' movement in
contrast to the draft law proposed by the Brotherhood to the People's Assembly.
The Brotherhood's agreement with other political
forces on a civil constitution which guarantees social justice, the right to
free, quality healthcare and education, the right to strike, demonstrate and
organise peaceful sit-ins, the public and private rights of all citizens, and
the genuinely representation of women, the Copts, working people and the youth
in the Constituent Assembly. We cannot fail here to call on the Muslim
Brotherhood and all the political forces to put the interests of the revolution
before party-political interest and to unite against Shafiq so that we do not
deliver our revolution to its enemies as easy prey.
Our position does not, of course, mean that we are
dropping our criticism of the social and economic programme of the Freedom and
Justice Party and its 'Renaissance Project' which is biased in its essence
towards the market economy and the class of the men of finance and business,
nor our criticism of the political performance of the leadership of the
Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party and of the trust of these leaders
in the Military Council and their attacks on the revolutionaries during the
battles of Mohammed Mahmoud Street and the Cabinet Offices and others. These
attacks included accusing the Revolutionary Socialists and other revolutionary
forces of treason, and the presentation of a legal complaint against us to the
Attorney General.
However, what concerns us in the first place is the
interest of the revolution, and its future, and we have to defend the right of
the masses to make choices and test those choices as a condition of the
development of their consciousness and the development of their position in
relation to different political forces.
We are also aware of the magnitude of the error in
failure to discriminate between the reformists of the Muslim Brotherhood, who
are supported by and will be supported by millions in the elections who aspire
to the redistribution of the revolution and genuine democracy, who depend on
the grassroots of the unions and professional associations and other social and
democratic organisations, and on their audience among poor peasants, workers
and the unemployed, and the fascism of the military's man, Shafiq and the thugs
of his campaign who are united in their desire to end the revolution and close
the door on any democratic or economic struggle.
We pledge today to join in the widest possible
struggle among the masses of our people against the candidate of the old
regime. The election of Shafiq would cross a red line, as if Mubarak returned
or he was found not guilty of his crimes. It would be exactly like rejecting
the sacrifice of the martyrs and accepting the defeat of the revolution. The
conditions for the struggle, the battle for a decent life, and the continuation
of the political and social revolution will become extremely difficult with
Shafiq installed in the presidential palace.
Turn the second round of the presidential elections
into a blow against the old regime!
Fight to organise the popular forces against the
slaveowners' revolt!
The Revolutionary Socialists
