Now is the time for change, a call for Egyptians in Canada

A group of Egyptian Canadians responds to Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei’s call for change in Egypt and establishes the National Association for Change in Egypt (Canada)

For Immediate release

Montreal & Toronto May 20^th, 2010

A new affiliation of the National Association for Change in Egypt has been established in Montreal and Toronto. It aims at mobilizing Egyptian expatriates in Canada to support the call for a real change towards a democratic and welfare state in Egypt.

The National Association for Change has been founded in Cairo, in February 2010 under the leadership of Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, ex-chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency.  Since then hundreds of thousands of Egyptians in Egypt and abroad have declared their unequivocal support to ElBaradei’s call for change.

This national cry has unified many Egyptians from various social and political spectrums in calling for seven concrete demands without which a real change would be implausible. These demands are

1. To lift the state of emergency imposed on the Egyptian people for nearly thirty years.
2. To empower the Egyptian Judiciary to fully supervise the electoral process.
3. To have the legislative and presidential elections monitored by Egyptian and International civil societies.
4. To provide equal opportunities in media coverage for all candidates, especially in the presidential elections.
5. To grant Egyptians living abroad, nearly seven millions, the right to vote in future elections. This right is currently denied to them.
6. To amend the constitutional articles 76, 77, and 88 to make it possible for independent and party candidates to run for presidency. Under the current constitution, it is  impossible for independents  and for newly established parties to file their candidacies
7. To amend the constitution as to limit the presidential tenure to two consecutive terms.

   

The National Association for Change in Egypt (Canada) fully supports these key demands and calls upon all Egyptians in Canada to join this national movement in support of these demands. Egyptians concerned about a better future for their homeland are encouraged to step forward to join this new organization and to sign the petitions available online at www.taghyeer.net. Egyptians can enjoy their full inalienable rights as citizens, only when they act collectively; then their motherland would regain its due place among free nations.

The National Association for Change in Egypt (Canada) plans to hold a major event during the upcoming period to expose the current situation in Egypt and to demonstrate why a real change towards a democratic and just society is vital.

National Association for Change in Egypt (Canada) has been founded by Egyptian-Canadian individuals and associations: Canadian Egyptian for Democracy (CEFD), Canadian Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (CEOHR), Nabil Abd-Elmalek, Samer Atallah, Samaa Elibyari, Gamal Ibrahim, Ehab Lotayef, Mohamed Kamel, Mohammed Shokr

For information and Media contact: Mohamed Kamel (514) 863-9202, Nabil Malek (514) 703-3723, Mohammed Shokr (905) 629-7608 by E-mail: nace.canada@hotmail.com, by mail: The National Association for Change in Egypt (Canada),

C.P. 92037, Brossard, Québec, Canada, J4W 3K8