Sabbahi: ElBaradei launch National Front to fight Morsi's decrees

Political figures and groups vow to stand united against constitutional declaration recently issued by President Mohamed Morsi Tens of political parties and groups announced on Saturday the creation of a National Front to defeat the new constitutional declaration announced by President Mohamed Morsi last Thursday. The parties declared they will not be holding any dialogue meetings with Morsi until the declaration is canceled. The new Front, which includes the Constitution Party, the Egyptian Popular Current, the Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance PArty amongst others, announced its support for demonstrations and sit-ins against the declaration, as well as its backing of actions by judges to defend judiciary independence. The meeting to launch the effort was attended by political figures including former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, head of Constitution Party Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of Arab league Amr Mousa and representatives of former presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh. It is not clear whether Abul-Fotouh's Strong Egypt Party has agreed to join the new Front as the Party has stressed in the past it would not cooperate with any figures who are tied to the Mubarak regime such as Amr Moussa. The Front condemned lawsuits reportedly filed on Saturday by an Islamist lawyer against prominent legal expert Hossam Eissa, a leading Muslim Brotherhood critic, accusing him of organising to topple the regime because of his announced opposition to the president's recent decrees. The participants said the new Prosecutor General Talaat Ibrahim, who replaced Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud according to Morsi's decrees, should not start off his job by punishing Egyptians for expressing their opinions. They further condemned the attacks made against political opposition figures such as former MP Abu El-Ezz El-Hariri, a well-known socialist and a Muslim Brotherhood critic, who was physically assaulted on Friday for demonstrating against the constitutional decree. The Front also condemned the attacks against the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in the past 48 hours insisting the revolution to remain peaceful. The Front includes the Coalition of Nasserist Parties, the Free Egypt Party, the Wafd Party, the Free Egyptians Party, the Farmers General Syndicate, the Independent Farmers Syndicate. The meeting was also attended by former MP Amr Hamzawy, former Constituent Assembly Spokesperson Wahid Abdel-Meguid, and President Morsi's recently resigned Presidential Advisor Samir Morqos as well as others.    Over 30 parties and groups participated on Friday in demonstrations across Egypt, protesting the new constitutional declaration. The constitutional declaration blocks the judiciary, or any other body, from challenging Morsi's decisions. The decree also protects the Shura Council (the upper house of parliament) and the controversial Islamist-led Constituent Assembly against dissolution by any court order. From Ahram online