CAIRO: The National Coalition for Change, headed by former secretary-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei, prepared a memo calling on Egyptian embassies abroad to allow citizens to vote in the upcoming parliamentary as well as presidential elections in 2010 and 2011.
The memo is to be presented by Egyptian expats to their respective embassies.
Mahmoud El-Khodeiri, head of the coalition’s legal committee, told Daily News Egypt that he sent it to several Egyptian activists living abroad on Sunday, including Mahmoud El-Shazly, who resides in the US and who is responsible for circulating among other activists in the US and Europe.
According to El-Khodeiri, Egyptians living abroad will present the memo to their respective embassies asking to exercise their right to vote by setting up polling stations at their headquarters.
He explained that the proposal included articles from the constitution that pertain to Egyptians living abroad and their right to vote.
“Egyptian activists in the US and Europe will launch a campaign to promote the proposal among Egyptians abroad and lobby the government into responding to their demands of setting up polling stations at Egyptian embassies,” he said.
El-Khodeiri also said that the coalition is already taking legal precautions against anticipated security crackdowns targeting its members in the coming period, especially with the launch of the campaign to gather signatures supporting ElBaradei in his calls to amend the constitution.
“We are forming legal committees in Egypt’s governorates comprised of lawyers who are keen on defending freedoms so we can be prepared to fight any security violations against activists,” he said.
