6 political movements join forces in anti-Sisi campaign

Six political movements have joined forces in a campaign against presidential nominee and former Head of the Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The Revolution Path Front, the two factions of the April 6 Youth Movement, the Revolutionary Socialists, Hakemhom and the Students Resistance movement founded the campaign, called "Dedak" (Against you).

In a press conference on Saturday, Revolutionary Socialist member Haytham Mohamadeen said that the campaign brings together political forces who may hold differing opinions on whether to take part in the upcoming presidential elections, but who all reject Sisi as president, believing he represents the counter-revolution.

“Revolutionary groups agree that Sisi led a bloody coup against the January 25 revolution on July 3 [2013, when former president Mohamed Morsi was removed] with the aim of killing the January 25 revolution and reinstating the Mubarak regime — but in a more vicious form — and protecting the corrupt and the interests of those who rule the country. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which led this coup, laid a path of roses for Sisi to become president. The transitional period is no longer a transition period. Rather it has become something permanent that will last from 4 - 8 years," Mohamadeen said.

Mohamadeen called the elections a “farce,” saying that state institutions want the elections to be a vehicle merely to “delegate power” to Sisi, who has not presented voters with a political programme.

Sisi “has made no promises to the public other than making pledges against the aims of the January 25 revolution … They want citizens to sign a blank check for Sisi,” Mohamadeen claimed.

Mohamadeen said that revolutionary groups would stand shoulder to shoulder against the “general,” who he described as “misleading and a liar,” pointing to Sisi's pledges in 2013 that he would not stand for election. Mohamadeen said that Sisi justified this U-turn by pointing to the mass demonstrations of 2013 in support of his fighting terrorism and nominating himself for president, which he suggests have no credibility because Sisi himself called for these demonstrations to take place.

Ali Ghoneim from the Revolution Path Front said that, in addition to standing against the return of the military state, Dedak opposes the Muslim Brotherhood and figures associated with the regime of Hosni Mubarak, removed in 2011. April 6 Youth Movement-Democratic Front member Mohamed Youssef echoed this, saying that while the campaign is aimed at Sisi himself and is against him becoming president, there is a strong likelihood that he will be elected and the campaign thus has a long-term goal of “standing up to the military state.”

The campaign will begin on Sunday May 17 and last until the elections on May 26. Its activities include graffiti and sticker campaigns, door-to-door visits to distribute leaflets in Cairo and governorates, a protest on Cairo's October Bridge midweek and a march in downtown Cairo on Saturday.

Asked about support for presidential nominee Hamdeen Sabbahi, a figure who describes himself as revolutionary, but who some revolutionary groups criticize for his stances post June 30, Mohamadeen said that revolutionary forces “sometimes have to support reformists in the face of oppressors,” giving the example of leftist groups who chose to vote for Morsi in 2012 in order to oppose Ahmed Shafiq, viewed as a stooge of the Mubarak regime.

Mohamadeen added that the fight now is between a general supported by counter revolutionaries and Sabbahi, considered a reformist by some groups.