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13 reform rallies to sweep Egypt
 CAIRO — Egypt's pro-reform "Kefaya" (Enough) movement intends to hold 13 simultaneous demonstrations across the country on April 27, reports said. The demonstrations will go ahead despite fears that authorities will use Cairo bomb attack — in which three foreign nationals died — as an excuse to crack down on marches.
| If not that then something else. |
"Of course the government will use this to stop people from going out on the streets to demonstrate," said political analyst Hassan Abu Taleb on Wednesday. A wave of protests by university students, Kefaya and the banned Muslim Brotherhood group have been held in the past month. Demonstrators are demanding greater political freedom ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for this fall. Attempts to hold marches outside the country's parliament have however been thwarted by the interior ministry, who maintain that gatherings without prior permission will not be tolerated. Meanwhile, Secretary-General of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party, Safwat Al Sherif, said yesterday that the party will nominate President Hosni Mubarak for a fifth term even though he has not yet signalled his intent to contest. Â
| Victor Davis Hansen noted yesterday that we've given Egypt $57 billion to be nice. Isn't it time to cut the cord? |
Posted by: Steve White 2005-04-16 |
