(AFP Photo)
The Tamarod (Rebellion) movement announced that it will support Defence Minister Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi if he runs for presidency.
“The Tamarod movement cannot disagree with the people’s aspirations; therefore, it announces that if Al-Sisi runs for presidency, the movement will support him,” Tamarod said in a statement issued on Monday.
The announcement contradicts the movement’s statement last Tuesday: “Al-Sisi should not run for presidency, to preserve his image as a national hero who performed his duty for his nation. The movement affirms that Egypt, after the revolution, must be ruled by a civilian president who is elected through a democratic process.”
Tamarod later deleted last Tuesday’s statement off their Facebook page and apologised, stating that it was “a personal statement”.
Tamarod reiterated a similar sentiment in Monday’s statement, adding: “The multiplicity of views among Tamarod members does not mean that their purposes are not the same; it is a part of the democratic dialogue Tamarod is used to.”
Tamarod said that the referendum on the draft constitution is “a decisive battle, which if won, will mean another triumph for the Egyptian people and the roadmap”.
The movement urged Egyptians to participate in the referendum and vote Yes to the draft constitution, saying that they will announce the name of the presidential candidate they will support after the referendum, in the case that Al-Sisi decides not to run.
Tamarod also insisted on holding the presidential elections after the referendum and before parliamentary elections, stating: “Holding early presidential elections was the main demand of the people when they signed Tamarod’s form.”
Representatives of youth political movements and members of the Constituent Assembly attended a national dialogue session called for by interim President Adly Mansour on Thursday, where the majority voted in favour of holding the presidential elections before the parliamentary elections. In the dialogue session, Tamarod was represented by its spokesman Hassan Shahin, Constituent Assembly member Mahmoud Badr and founding member Mai Wahba.
