Sixty political parties and movements as well as a number of public figures said they will confront parliament’s discussion of the maritime demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia through all peaceful political and constitutional methods. They said the agreement grants the Saudi kingdom sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir islands, violating the Egyptian constitution and other laws, as well as the recent judicial verdicts.
In a statement, they stressed that ceding the Egyptian land is considered a clear announcement of dropping the legitimacy of the current authority and parliament.
Several parties including Al-Dostour Party, Socialist Popular Alliance Party as well as 6 April Movement, Revolutionary Socialists and public figures including Hamdeen Sabbahi, Khaled al-Balshy, Khaled Dawoud, Abdel Gelil Mostafa, Khaled Ali and Mamdouh Hamza signed the statement.
They said the agreement is the first of its kind in history to cede Egyptian land; describing it as “challenging the people’s will, as well as recorded history, geography and the memory of martyrs who defended the land.”
Those who signed the statement expressed their refusal of discussion of the court-nullified agreement in the parliament, warning that the determination to pass the agreement and hand over the islands is a crime that will be blamed on whoever gets involved in it.
They urged the MPs to confront pressures and declare their refusal to discuss and to approve the agreement.
They also called on Egyptian people to show refusal toward the agreement through peaceful methods, like raising Egyptian flags and slogans on their balconies; taking part in events to express their rejection of the agreement; taking part in petitions by “Egypt is Not For Sale” campaign and submitting them to MPs at their districts.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
