EGYPT: Egyptian activists launch online campaign calling for a boycott of the upcoming presidential run-off

Record ID: 346590

  • Title: EGYPT: Egyptian activists launch online campaign calling for a boycott of the upcoming presidential run-off
  • Date: 15th June 2012
  • Summary: COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING A PAGE, WITH THE TEXT READING, "NO TO ANY ELECTION UNDER MILITARY RULE, WE ARE bOYCOTTING" VIDEO OF ANTI-SUPREME COUNCIL OF ARMED FORCES (SCAF)
  • Embargoed: 30th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6FEDKQTMM1BI5OZPBYC6PVW3P
  • Story Text: Egyptian activists have launched an online campaign calling for a boycott of the presidential run-off this weekend.
    The June 16-17 run-off, seen as the last stage in a chaotic transition from military to civilian rule, will pit Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafik against Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi .Campaigners have created a Facebook page entitled "No to any election under military rule, we are boycotting", calling on the Egyptian people to refrain from going to the polls on Saturday and Sunday.
    The online campaign reflects the voters disdain at both contenders who they consider a poor choice for Egyptian leftists.
    "If the law is not implemented we will boycott (the elections) because we will be faced with two choices: a choice to follow racism or a choice to follow colonialism which will keep Egypt poor and under a new form of colonialism," said Amr, one of the campaigners.
    Many of the campaigners blame the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) for the first-round election results which they believe were rigged.
    "Obviously they make these elections customised specifically for them, so that the result that comes out, whatever it is and whoever it is, works perfectly for them," Tarek Shalaby said.
    "And that's why what we need to do is we need to reject these elections, refuse to collaborate with them, and make sure that we organise ourselves and do go for labour strikes and for demonstrations and sit-ins," he added.
    Egyptian director Khaled Youssef said he himself would boycott the upcoming elections.
    "The Egyptian people face a choice of death by drowning or death by burning. Either they have the choice of a despotic state in the name of religion or to reproduce a despotic regime. Therefore, the choice is very hard. I'm one among many people who will put two x marks on my ballot and write 'the revolution continues' because the revolution should continue until it fulfils its goals," he said.
    Egypt's already bumpy political transition could be stopped in its tracks on Thursday when a court considers a law that could disqualify Shafik from this weekend's presidential election.
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