1,000's march across Cairo to protest Egypt election results

[DJKeefy]

Thousands march across Cairo to protest Shafiq vs Mursi Egypt election results

Protesters take to streets of Egypt's capital to register outrage over final vote count that leaves Brotherhood's Mursi and Mubarak-era minister Shafiq presidential finalists in next month's runoff.


Hundreds chanting 'smash Shafiq on his head'
'down with all the dogs of military'

Thousands of protesters have joined demonstrations currently taking place in Cairo's Tahrir Square, outside Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC), and outside the headquarters of Egypt's Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC).

In Tahrir Square, demonstrators protested against presidential candidates Ahmed Shafiq and Mohamed Mursi, who will face each other in a runoff vote on 16 and 17 June. Demonstrators claimed that both candidates had topped last week's presidential poll by using illegal methods and fixing the vote.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters – including eliminated presidential candidate Khaled Ali – marched to Talaat Harb Square in downtown Cairo en route to Tahrir. "Smash Shafiq on his head," they chanted. "Down with all the military's dogs."

Outside SCC and SPEC headquarters, meanwhile, protestors demanded enforcement of a 'disenfranchisement law' banning former regime figures from returning to political life.

Application of the law – which has been endorsed by parliament and the ruling military council but which still awaits approval by the SCC – would exclude Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, from the presidential race. Liberal groups, for their part, are lobbying for Nasserist presidential contender Sabbahi to replace Shafiq in the upcoming runoffs.

Demonstrators called on Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi to ally with other presidential contenders – such Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabbahi – to unite against 'remnants' of the Mubarak regime, in a reference to Shafiq.

Groups that endorsed Monday's demonstration outside the SCC and SPEC headquarters included the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, the Kefaya protest movement, the April 6 youth movement and the Revolutionary Socialists.

The SPEC announced at a Monday press conference that the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi and Mubarak-era minister Shafiq would face each other in next month's runoff poll.

According to the constitutional declaration, issued by the ruling military council in the wake of last year's uprising and approved via popular referendum, decisions made by the SPEC cannot be appealed.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/43152.aspx

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[Grandad]

I am a little lost for words. After all last years strife and bloodshed for a change of regime and for democratic elections they don't like the results and want to change the rules. Has nobody explained what 'democracy' is all about?

And if a Mubarak era candidate polls SO many votes can they not understand that, perhaps, there are many who would prefer a Mubarak style President (without the rife corruption) rather than an MB President?

I guess, as always, it is a minority who think their views represent the majority when they clearly do not. I also wonder how many of these protesters actually voted in the polls last week?

[Horus]

Good point Grandad, it is here that I think many Egyptians have just sleepwalked into these elections without any real thought for what really happens. Sit back and pontificate, but do very little and the resulting apathy will give them the result they like the least. Polititians of all persuasions are usually coniving liars and will say and do anything to get elected, my biggest fear is that this apathy will see the more organised and slipery candidates being elected by default, I hate to say it, but I could see this comming, if they had rule imposed upon them for the last 7000 years and sat back and took it, then what is really going to change with this farcical Arab Spring? Probably the only country in the region that was capable of sustaining a real change without utter chaos ensuing was Egypt, but their apparent lack of any real unified direction or purpose makes me fear for their future.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Methinks you two have summed it up very well. There was an ardent movement for change but then it seemed to lose momentum or focus or something as the 'type' of Candidate apprently wanted by ALL the people (or at least the protestors) didn't really materialize. That however IS the democratic way. I do feel badly though that all of their efforts seem to have brought them back almost full circle on the one hand and the other option is.......well......I'm glad it isn't an option that I much have to worry about here.

Sure wish there was a magic wand to wave over Egypt and 'make it right' for them but am afraid in this case this is something they just have to work through themselves and 'make it work' by the 'will of the people.'