Anti-Coup Alliance

Anti-Coup Alliance
Leader Ehab Sheiha[1]
Founded 27 June 2013[2]
Ideology Islamism[2]
Politics of Egypt
Political parties
Elections

The Anti-Coup Alliance[3] (also known as the National Alliance Supporting Legitimacy)[4] is a coalition in Egypt formed to defeat the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi.[5] The coalition is made up of approximately 40 Islamist parties and groups.[6] The coalition has called upon the opposition to break ties with figures they call "corrupt" from the Mubarak regime.[6] Notably, the political wing of the group (the Building and Development Party) and the Wasat Party did not take part in protests held by pro-Morsi forces during the week of 18 October 2013.[7] The alliance offered a new reconciliation initiative that does not include the reinstatement of Morsi on 26 October 2013; al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Homeland Party are not calling for the reinstatement of Morsi, while the Virtue Party, Authenticity Party and the Muslim Brotherhood are still demanding that Morsi be reinstated as president.[8] The group has reached out to what it called "fellow revolutionaries" to cooperate with them against the protest law in Egypt in order to jointly organize protests; Kefaya objected to the call for cooperation.[9] Members of the Building and Development Party, the political arm of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, wanted to meet with Yasser Al Borhamy, the deputy head of the Salafist Call as well as Emad Abdel Ghaffour, who is the head of the Homeland Party.[10] Al Borhamy reportedly could not meet with the members, while Ghaffour asked them to stop demonstrations before talks could begin and rebuffed their demands for the reinstatement of Morsi and the bringing back of the Shura Council that was dissolved.[10] Borhami denied being asked to serve as a mediator, though he stated that he would act as a mediator if there were no preconditions.[10] The alliance has said it will boycott the 2014 constitutional referendum.[11] Various groups and parties within the alliance including al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, the Building and Development Party, the Islamic Party, the Freedom and Justice Party and the Virtue Party have criticized the Nour Party for its support of the draft constitution.[12] The Islamic Party has not participated in meetings with the group because of what Mohamed Abu Samra (the secretary-general of the party) called the "brotherhood's radical thought".[13] The Salafist Front issued a statement on 30 April 2014 that called on the alliance to temporarily stop its' actions in order to avoid more violence;[13] the alliance did not suspend its' activities in response.[14] Egyptian Prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab issued a decree on 16 October 2014 banning the alliance.[15] Another decree was issued on 30 October 2014 which dissolved the alliance.[16] A court postponed the appeal of the dissolution of the alliance until 13 November 2014.[17]

Affiliated groups

Parties and organizations in the coalition include:

Withdrawals

The Wasat Party withdrew from the alliance on 28 August 2014.[24] The Homeland Party withdrew from the alliance on 17 September 2014, though the reason for its leaving was to reorganize itself.[25] The Authenticity Party is considering leaving the alliance because it has not achieved its goals.[26] The Salafist Front had withdrawn from the alliance on 30 November 2014.[27] The Independence Party announced on 4 December 2014 that it had withdrawn.[27] The Arab Unification Party and the Islamic Party have withdrawn from the Anti-Coup Alliance.[28] al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya considered withdrawing from the alliance,[29] though it decided to remain.[30]

Court cases

A court verdict that could have banned the alliance was not given on 21 May 2014 because the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters ruled that it lacked jurisdiction.[31] An appeal to dissolve the coalition was thrown out on 22 September 2014 partly because it did not indicate what parties are part of the alliance and did not indicate the coalitions alleged connections to "terrorist activities".[32] Another verdict in September 2014 banned the alliance.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Pro-Morsy alliance denies backing any presidential candidate, Egypt Independent, 10 February 2014, retrieved 30 April 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 11 Islamist parties launch 'Legitimacy Support' alliance, Ahram Online, 28 June 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  3. ↑ Anti-Coup Alliance plans eight marches on Sunday, Daily News Egypt, 18 August 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  4. ↑ NASL sources say will not take part in constitution referendum, Egypt Independent, 3 December 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  5. ↑ Anti-Coup Alliance Statement: Major Massacre During Crackdown Against Rabaa and Nahda Sit-Ins, Ikhwan Web, 14 August 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Egypt Islamist coalition urges opposition to break from Mubarak regime figures, Ahram Online, 29 June 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  7. ↑ "Towards Negotiations". Al-Ahram Weekly On-line. 23 October 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Pro-Morsy alliance offers new initiative for political deadlock, Egypt Independent, 26 October 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  9. ↑ Anti-coup alliance holds out hand to revolutionaries, Mada Masr, 28 November 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Pro-Morsy alliance ask Salafis to mediate with the Army to end crisis, Egypt Independent, 26 November 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  11. ↑ "Egypt's pro-Morsi coalition to boycott constitutional referendum". Ahram Online. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Nour Party under Islamists’ fire over ‘yes’ vote call". Egypt Independent. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Salafist Front calls on NASL to suspend activities". Cairo Post. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  14. ↑ "NASL hasn’t suspended activities: Watan Party". Cairo Post. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Egypt's PM bans pro-Morsi NASL alliance, Ahram Online, 16 October 2014, retrieved 16 October 2014
  16. ↑ Egypt bans pro-Mursi pressure group, Reuters, 30 October 2014, retrieved 30 October 2014
  17. ↑ تأجيل استشكال حظر "تحالف دعم الشرعية وحزب الاستقلال" لـ13 نوفمبر, Al Shorouk, 6 November 2014, retrieved 6 November 2014
  18. ↑ "Islamist forces join together for Rabaa Al-Adaweya protest", Daily News Egypt, 28 June 2013, retrieved 30 April 2014
  19. ↑ "Jama’a al-Islamiya says Nour Party on constitution worse than that of church". Egypt Independent. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  20. ↑ "Anti-Coup Alliance cites reasons for boycotting referendum". Daily News Egypt. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  21. ↑ "Anti-coup alliance denies giving up on the return of Morsi". Mada Masr. 25 December 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Brotherhood-led alliance plans referendum day sit-ins". Egypt Independent. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  23. ↑ "Islamist alliance discusses initiative to end internal crisis". Cairo Post. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  24. ↑ "Wasat Party withdraws from NASL, considers parliamentary elections: Source". Cairo Post. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  25. ↑ Watan Party withdraws from NASL, Egypt Independent, 17 September 2014, retrieved 17 September 2014
  26. ↑ تحالف "المعزول" يحتضر, Al Masry Al Youm, 4 October 2014, retrieved 6 November 2014
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "More Islamist groups withdraw from Anti-Coup Alliance". Daily News Egypt. 6 December 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  28. ↑ "نهاية تحالف "دعم المعزول"". Al Masry Al Youm. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  29. ↑ "Gamaa Islamiya considers exiting pro-Morsi bloc". Ahram Online. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  30. ↑ "«البناء والتنمية» يقاطع الانتخابات". Shorouk News. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  31. ↑ Court decrees lack of jurisdiction in lawsuit demanding NASL ban, Egypt Independent, 21 May 2014, retrieved 21 May 2014
  32. ↑ "Cairo court dismisses lawsuits against Nour Party, MB-affiliated alliance". Mada Masr. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.

External links