By Safaa Abdoun
CAIRO: Ten representatives of youth movements that organized the protests in Egypt which started on Jan. 25 and toppled the regime 18 days later will meet with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Wednesday.
The newly-formed Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution, includes 10 men and women who will convey the demands of the youth to the army council.
“We will be organizing post-revolution events as well as negotiating the demands of the youth with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces,” Khaled El-Sayed, a member of the coalition, told Daily News Egypt.
On Wednesday “we will discuss demands such as canceling the emergency law, releasing political detainees, the political parties law, and putting on trial corrupt officials and those responsible for the violence against the demonstrators during the revolution,” explained El-Sayed, adding that they will also discuss other proposed demands.
They are also organizing a million man march to take place on Friday in Tahrir Square, calling it the “Friday of Victory and Memory of the Martyrs.”
The youth coalition includes political activists such as the administrators of “We are all Khalid Said” page on Facebook, Wael Ghonim and Amr Salama; April 6 Youth movement general coordinator Ahmed Maher; Asmaa Mahfouz; and media coordinator of the Public Independent Campaign for Supporting ElBaradei, Abdel-Rahman Samir. It also includes members of the Justice and Freedom group, the Muslim Brotherhood and Democratic Front Party members Shady Ghazali Harb and Amr Salah.
After their three-hour meeting with the army council on Sunday, the army officers said that there is a need for everyone to work hard to make up for the losses sustained by the Egyptian economy. The officers also vowed to pursue the corrupt regardless of their current or former positions.
According to Amr Salama, also an independent filmmaker, the officers were keep on collaborating with them to see Egypt through of the current situation, boost the economy and restore order in the country.
Even though members of the coalition have tried to include the various youth movements and independent groups, some may feel they weren’t represented in the coalition despite their involvement in the demonstrations.
“This is a revolution and everyone has the right to be represented and they could delegate someone to represent them in the negotiations,” said El-Sayed.
Asked about reports that the Coalition of the Youth of the Revolution might become a political party in the future, El-Sayed said that it was “too early” to be discussing this issue now.
