• 19:32
  • Friday ,30 May 2014
العربية

Pro-Morsi coalition calls for "third revolutionary wave"

By-Ahram

Copts and Poliltical Islam

00:05

Friday ,30 May 2014

Pro-Morsi coalition calls for

Amid the preliminary results of Egypt's presidential poll announced on Thursday, a "third revolutionary wave" has been declared by the largest coalition supporting ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.Amid the preliminary results of Egypt's presidential poll announced on Thursday, a "third revolutionary wave" has been declared by the largest coalition supporting ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In a press statement, the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL) requested the military to "step back" and allow the Egyptian people to rule the country.
 
Preliminary results of the three-day presidential election show that Egypt's 27 governorates favour Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who collected over 96 percent of the vote.
 
El-Sisi's only contender, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, garnered a humble 3 percent, with less than 800,000 votes. 3.7 percent of the ballots were void.
 
"We are calling on all Egyptians to carry on with their revolution that initially aimed for freedom," the NASL statement quoted.
 
The alliance also claimed that a "low turnout" of the presidential polls evidenced the Egyptian people's will to reject what it described as the "military coup" that ousted Morsi.
 
However, contrary to to the NASL's claims, preliminary results showed a relatively high turnout of 46 percent.
 
The statement also asked Egyptians to protest in all governorates around the country against the elections and the "coup".
 
Last week, the pro-Morsi alliance had also claimed that a "low turnout" of the expat voting -- which took place from 15-18 May – declaring it null and void.
 
However, again contrary to NASL assertions, the number of expats who voted in the 2014 poll exceeded that in the 2012 presidential elections that brought Morsi to power.
 
The Muslim Brotherhood-led coalition insists Morsi is Egypt's legitimate president. The group describes Morsi – who currently faces multiple trials on charges including murder and espionage – as the "kidnapped president".
 
El-Sisi, in his former capacity as the country's defence minister, had led Morsi's removal following mass protests against the Islamist president's troubled one-year rule.
 
Despite the dwindling numbers of Morsi supporters in street protests – now mainly confined to some Egyptian universities – the NASL consistently claims the momentum of its demonstrations remains undeterred.