Ägyptens Linke gründet "Demokratische Revolutionäre Koalition"
Egypt's Left Launches 'Democratic Revolutionary Coalition'
Es ist nicht das erste Mal, dass verschiedene linke Strömungen und Organisationen in Ägypten versuchen sich unter einem gemeinsamen Dach zu versammeln. 2006 scheiterte das Projekt einer "Sozialistischen Allianz" mitten im Aufflammen von Protesten in der Industriearbeiterschaft. Zu groß waren wohl die Differenzen zwischen den Gruppierungen. Ein zweiter Versuch, verschiedene linke Parteien und Organisationen unter einem neuen Dach zu vereinigen, scheiterte vor 18 Monaten, also inmitten des arabischen Frühling Anfang 2011, der in Ägypten das alte Mubarak-Regime hinwegfegte.
Nun, am 19. September 2012, traten ein paar Organisationen, die beim letzten Versuch auch schon dabei waren, wieder an und gründeten - zusammen mit weiteren älteren und neu entstandenen Parteien - die 'Democratic Revolutionary Coalition' (DRC). Zu diesem Kreis von zehn Organisationen und Bewegungen gehören z.B. die Ägyptische Sozialistische Partei, die Sozialistische Volksallianz, die Arbeiter- und Bauernpartei, die Ägyptische Kommunistische Partei, die Demokratische Volksbewegung, die Sozialistische Jugendunion und die Tagammu Party, die linke Partei mit der längsten Tradition. Gerade dieser Partei begegnen andere Gründungsmitglieder mit Skepsis; manchen ist sie zu "opportunistisch".
Weitere Koalitionäre seien in dem Bündnis willkommen, hieß es auf der Gründungsversammlung, ausgeschlossen seien aber Parteigänger des alten Regimes und Gegner der Revolution.
Während die Neugründung offen ist gegenüber solchen Bewegungen wie der "Constitution Party" des früheren IAEO-Präsidenten AlBaradei, der Nasseristischen Hamdeen Sabbahi's Popular Current oder Amr Moussa's Conference Party, die allein etwa 25 liberale und linke Bewegungen und Initiativen repräsentiert. Alle drei befänden sich heute im Widerspruch zur regierenden Muslimbruderschaft. Die Herrschaft der Muslimbruderschaft sei eine Gefahr für das Land, die überwunden werden müsse, lautet das Credo der neuen linken Formation. Präsident Mursi bekämpft Streiks und Forderungen der Arbeiter mit einem der Hauptargumente aus der Zeit Mubaraks: Sie würden ausländische Investitionen gefährden. Indiz für die neoliberale Ausrichtung der Regierung sei auch der Besuch Mursis in China gewesen, als er sich begleiten ließ von Geschäftsleuten der Mubarak-Ära.
Die Gründungskonferenz endete mit einem optimistischen Ausblick auf kommende Protestereignisse, etwa die Kundgebung am 22. September. Deren Hauptforderungen werden sein: Ablehnung der von den Islamisten beherrschten Verfassung gebende Versammlung, Freilassung politischer Häftlinge und der am 8. April verhafteten Armeeoffiziere.
Im Folgenden also der volle Artikel aus "Ahram" über die Gründungsversammlung.
Egypt's Left Launches 'Democratic Revolutionary Coalition'
By Randa Ali *
Ten leftist parties and movements announced
Wednesday the formation of a joint coalition named
the Democratic Revolutionary Coalition (DRC)
during a press conference at the headquarters of
Egyptian Socialist Party in downtown Cairo.
"The Egyptian left has always been one of the main
pillars of the national movements in Egypt's
history," said Ahmed Bahaa El-Din Shaaban,
secretary general of the Egyptian Socialist Party.
Shaaban explained the reasons behind the current
initiative to unify, due to "the criticality of the
current situation in Egypt, with attempts at turning
Egypt into a religious state ... Egyptian identity is
being threatened, and the revolution is at stake."
The long-time socialist activist pointed out that this
is the first time in Egypt's history that the left
unites.
In 2006, different leftist groups tried to form what
was known as the Socialist Alliance. This aimed at
creating a leftist alternative, especially amid the new
wave of industrial action emerging at the time. Yet
no sooner had the alliance been announced than
differences between its members paralysed its work
on the ground.
After the 25 January uprising, five socialist groups
and newly established parties, namely the Egyptian
Socialist Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance, the
Tagammu Party, the Workers and Peasants Party,
and the Egyptian Communist Party, announced that
they would unite with the Revolutionary Socialists
to form a "socialist front." Once again the initiative
failed to produce a leftist umbrella. Four of the
groups that tried to unite in 2011 are now members
of the DRC.
The new coalition is formed of 10 leftist parties and
movements: the Egyptian Socialist Party, the
Socialist Popular Alliance, the Tagammu Party, the
Workers and Peasants Party, the Egyptian
Communist Party, the Democratic Popular
Movement, the Egyptian Coalition to Fight
Corruption, the Socialist Revolutionary Movement
(January), the Socialist Youth Union and the Mina
Daniel Movement.
Coalition leaders said they aim to ally with other
national coalitions; however, Workers and Peasants
Party co-founder Kamal Khalil underlined that any
coalition is possible except "for whoever allied with
SCAF, was party to Mubarak's regime or was against
the revolution."
"We're going through a dangerous phase that
demands the unity of all national forces and not just
the left," said Khalil.
Khalil revealed the DRC's intention to unite with
both Nasserist Hamdeen Sabbahi's Popular Current
and reform campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei's
Constitution Party.
"We will unite on the streets and during elections.
From now there is no 'I' but 'us.' This is a starting
point for a democratic coalition against the classist
rulers," said Khalil, stressing that unity will be
based on the goals of the revolution rather on an
ideological basis.
Forces coordinate
A number of initiatives are emerging in the political
sphere in an attempt to counter Islamist domination
over political life in Egypt. One is former Arab
League secretary general Amr Moussa's Conference
Party, a party of 25 currents and movements
representing liberals, leftists and remnants of the
Mubarak regime.
Sabbahi's Popular Current is also emerging as a
powerful force, and this week ElBaradei's
Constitution Party was legally recognised.
Many during the press conference voiced criticisms
of the Muslim Brotherhood, implying that it is now
their rival in the battle to accomplish the goals of
the revolution.
"The domination of the Muslim Brotherhood in
political life in Egypt is a danger that we need to
overcome," said Adel El-Mashad, a member of the
Socialist Popular Alliance.
El-Mashad said that the Brotherhood, the group
President Mohamed Morsi hails from, have left them
with no options but to be at the front rows of their
opponents.
"The Muslim Brotherhood are still weak, but they
are doing the best they can to gain further control
over the country, and that will be through
compromising to the imperialist and Zionist forces,"
added El-Mashad.
Also criticising the Brotherhood during the press
conference, Salah Adly of the Egyptian Communist
Party said:"They are now calling the workers strikes
sectoral and accuse them of repelling foreign
investment; they are using the same rhetoric that
was used during the time of Mubarak."
Adly pointed out that during President Morsi's visit
to China in late August he was accompanied by
"Mubarak-era businessmen."
"We've seen how strikes are being suppressed these
days, the Nile University students, public
transportation workers, and the workers of Cairo
University," said labour activist Khalil who said the
Brotherhood is "now showing their true colours."
Khalil addressed the Brotherhood, warning them
that the same Egyptian people that ousted Hosni
Mubarak is able to oust the Brotherhood and their
supreme guide.
"Oppressing strikes and the Egyptian people is
crossing the red line," said Khalil, who accused the
Brotherhood of pairing up with the former Mubarak
regime in ruling Egypt.
"They're following in the steps of Mubarak, but
rather in a worse manner with more subordination
to the US and Israel," said Khalil.
Protests to follow
By the end of the conference, members announced
that a protest will be held 22 September in Talaat
Harb Square, to voice key demands, which are:
refusal of the Islamist-dominated Constituent
Assembly; demanding the release of prisoners jailed
during protests on politics-related cases, and the
release of the military officers arrested 8 April.
The protest is also scheduled to oppose the IMF
loan, to demand the removal of the current minister
of interior, who activists see as "a clone of the ex-
minister of interior, Habib El-Adly."
El-Adly served as interior minister under Mubarak
from 1997 till 2011. During his tenure, police
brutality became pervasive, which is deemed to be
one of the factors that triggered last year's uprising.
Under El-Adly's command, police forces also opened
fire on protesters in the early days of the revolt,
which toppled Mubarak on February 11 of last year.
Both men in June were slapped life sentences for
'failing to protect civilians' during that period.
Hesham Fouad, a leading member of the
Revolutionary Socialists, told Ahram Online that his
movement is happy that the left is once again
considering unity, adding that "Even though the
principle of having a united left is essential for us,
we don't think that working with the Tagammu
Party is acceptable."
The Tagammu Party, the oldest formal leftist party,
was accused by many groups on the left as being
opportunistic. However, party leaders say that many
changes have been made to mend party politics.
"Before talking about unity, we have to know on
what stances, and with who. We can't afford another
bubble that will quickly burst," Fouad said.
* Source: Ahram, September 19, 2012; http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/53304.aspx
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