Thursday, November 30, 2017

In a big regional drama : Shafik declares his Presidential bid “Updated”

That’s one hell of a week, Egypt is having already and it has not finished yet!!
It started with a massacre by terrorists that Egypt has not seen before to the death of Egypt’s legendary diva to a real crazy elections week in sporting clubs to the announcement of a presidential bid that creating buzz at least in two Arab countries thanks to two videos.
To read the latest updates, please scroll down.

The First Vide

Wednesday afternoon , many Egyptians were surprised to find an exclusive breaking news from Reuters at 4 PM Cairo local time saying that former Egyptian PM and presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik declared his intention to run in the upcoming presidential elections in Spring 2018.

Reuters added that it received a phone call from the former 2012 presidential candidate from UAE and a video statement as well declaring his candidacy for the Egyptian Presidential office.
Shafik also added that he would return from UAE soon to start his campaign.

Reuters released the video and it is available online but it was edited.
Sooner Ahmed Shafik’s official social media account uploaded the 6-minutes’ announcement.


Reading from a paper while wearing a suit, Shafik started his speech thanking UAE and its rulers for hosting him all those years since 2012.
During his speech, he stressed that his aim was to have a civilian democratic Egypt that upholds accountability and human rights, which are not a grant from anybody !!! “Yes, this is Ahmed Shafik speaking !!”

You know I voted for Mohamed Morsi in 2012 and I did not support Ahmed Shafik but one must say that his speechwriter in 2017 is better than the one he had in 2012.
I have noticed an improvement in his statements already since the Tiran and Sanafir’s crisis.
The announcement freaked out El-Sisi supporters who were once his supporters in 2012.
During that time, I managed to get a confirmation from his party “The Patriotic Movement” that he would return Egypt soon at the time he chose.

The second video

Two hours later, we found Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV network declaring that it would air an exclusive video statement from Ahmed Shafik declaring that UAE barred him from travel.
Here is the video after the break.


Thanks UAE for hosting him at first, Shafik stated in the short video that he was barred from leaving the UAE for reasons beyond his understanding as he said.
He also added that he intended to have a tour to meet Egyptian abroad before returning back home.
You got Shafik appearing in Qatari Al-Jazeera saying that UAE blocks his return to Egypt to participate in the upcoming presidential elections !!

It is no longer Egyptian matter, but rather regional matter or rather drama.

An hour later, we found UAE’s state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash denying what Shafik said and slamming him big time on his official Twitter account. Gargash admitted that the Emirati government did not approve some of Shafik’s stances despite all the help, facilities and honors he
Ahmed Shafik
Shafik is back "his famous campaign photo in 2012"
received in the UAE since 2012.
The Pro-regime Media went mad in Cairo before Abu Dhabi !!
All those Pro-regime TV hosts who once praised him turned against him in a surreal scene.

Lamis El-Hadidy praised Khaled Ali for God’s sake !! Her husband Amr Adeeb was extremely sad and angry that you might think that one of his kids were killed by Shafik heavens forbid !!
Adeeb claimed that the former presidential candidate may return back to Cairo early Thursday !!

At 11:44 PM Cairo Local time, AFP announced that it received a video message from Ahmed Shafik stated that he was barred from leaving the UAE by its government too.
I think it is the same video sent to Al-Jazeera.

At 1:15 AM Cairo Local time, I got a statement from Shafik’s political party “The Patriotic Movement” party saying that the former Prime minister did not and won’t deal with Al-Jazeera TV channel and he is currently facing a smear campaign in the media following the announcement that he intended to run in the upcoming presidential elections.  The Party which got 4 seats in the current House of Representatives added that Shafik did not send any video to that TV channel.

Seriously speaking I do not understand what happened. I hope we will understand in the upcoming hours. All that I can say is that Ahmed Shafik is a serious rival to Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
And just like Ahmed Shafik said to his supporters following his success in the first round of the Egyptian Presidential elections 2012 “Let’s get some sleep”.

Updated

On Thursday , nothing significant happened but famous Emirati academic and tweep Abdel Al-Khalek Abdullah claimed that Shafik would leave Emirates within 48 hours because he is not welcomed anymore there.
Shafik’s lawyer Dina Adly Hussein spoke to the media on Thursday and said that her client solved “that matter” with the UAE officials. She also denied that the presidential hopeful had sent that second video about the UAE to Al-Jazeera TV channel adding that he himself did not know how it ended at Al-Jazeera in Doha.
I read on Thursday also that Shafik sent that video to all Egyptian TV channels refused to air and according to some sources someone working in an Egyptian TV channel sent to Al-Jazeera. From its side, Al-Jazeera did not say how it end it to the news desk in Doha.
Another thing , it seems Ahmed Shafik will head to France as soon as he leaves UAE.
The Pro-regime media is still attacking madly to the level of claiming that he was collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood and 6th April. 

4 comments:

  1. In a real democracy, Egypt should have a 4-way race: Sissy, Shafik, Khalid Aly and Morsi. After all, June 30th was about an early elections for Morsi, now it is not early at all.

    Whom do you think will reach the run-off and ultimately the presidency?
    Whom do you think will get Sabahi figures?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not one tax-cutting, pro business, pro free speech, small-government, conservative or center-right candidate after the fashion of rich, successful Western democracies? The only discussions in Egyptian politics are between hateful toxic Sunni religio-fascists on one side, and poisonous quasi-communists promising more free government bread, on the other side. What is wrong with you people? One well-known definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You do not like Egyptians ....
    Why you follow Egyptian Blog...
    Just go away and do something ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hamdy, I follow this blog because I like it, same as you. And I like some Egyptians and dislike others, again same as you.

      I'm sad that you want me to go away. I don't want you to go away! Don't you find that blog comments are more interesting when there are a variety of opinions expressed?

      "I disagree with what you say, but I would defend to the death your right to say it." ~~Evelyn Beatrice Hall, 1906, from her work titled "The Friends of Voltair"

      Delete

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