CAIRO: Hundreds of posters calling on Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, to run for president have appeared in several districts of Cairo and teAlexandria, sparking fears that the armed forces may try to cling to power.
A coalition called “Egypt above All” put up flyers in Central Cairo’s Ramsis and Abdel Moneim Riyad streets as well as in Giza and Alexandria.
Mahmoud Attia, founder and spokesman of the group of 3,000 lawyers, businessmen, physicians and other professionals, believes that the military ruler will bring an end to the state of chaos in the country.
“The lack of security and disrespect is not freedom or democracy, that’s why we thought that a military figure is the best to rule Egypt in the transitional period,” Attia told Daily News Egypt.
“Thank God the military is still intact,” he added.
Attia explained that the coalition is independent both ideologically and financially.
He said that the “revolutionaries” are people who used to chant in front of the press syndicate and the general prosecutor’s office, but they “just got luck” when the Egyptian people rose against former president Mubarak.
“It was God’s will to reveal the country’s corruption and get rid of a president; otherwise there would not have been a popular uprising,” said Attia.
“Egypt has become a state within a state,” he said.
In an unusual turn, state TV reported on the so-called “campaign.”
“Ever since his Downtown walkabout in a civilian suit, I became suspicious that he would run for president,” said Evon Mosaad, the official spokesperson for the Maspero Youth Coalition.
Mosaad added that it is very difficult to describe Tantawi as the symbol of “security and stability” after what the army did on Oct. 9 crushing a peaceful protest by killing 27 and injuring over 300.
“Where was the army during the Camel Battle,” she asked, referring to the events of February 2 when thugs riding camels and horses attached peaceful protesters camped out in Tahrir.
Like other youth activists, Mosaad said that Egyptians didn’t have a revolution to end up under military rule
“We want Egypt to be a civil state, neither a military nor a religious state, so how can they call on Tantawi to run for president?” she asked.
“The other presidential nominees are a joke, they gain their power from the youth who get outside training and try to implement foreign agendas,” said Attia.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party’s media office said that the party has yet to formulate a response to the campaign, while the Brotherhood’s youth have strongly rejected any hint that Tantawi might run for the top office.
“We reject any proposal for a military president; this is not my opinion alone but I can vouch that all Egyptian youth who gathered against Mubarak would agree with me. Enough military rule,” said Amr El-Sayed, speaking on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood youth.
On the other hand, Attia explained that the posters are just a start and that they will expand their campaign extensively over the next few days.
“We are only asking him to nominate himself for a transitional period and the polls will prove what the people want,” said Attia.
SCAF has made no public statement about the posters.
SCAF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Amr Imam could not be reached for comment.
