Source: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/africa/18627-al-sisi-distances-himself-from-al-sayyid-al-badawi-leaks
The audio recordings attributed to Wafd Party leader Al-Sayyid Al-Badawi and leaked by journalist Abd Al-Rahim Ali yesterday came as a big surprise.
The leaked audio recordings follow other political leaks released and publicised this week to the effect that Al-Badawi is "no more" – he is literally "finished", or, as Egyptians would say, he needs to "make him a prayer". All these are expressions for one thing, namely that certain circle within Egypt have decided to get rid of Al-Badawi.
Speculations are now confined to the manner in which he will be finished off. Will some of the charges be brought against him (leading to a lawsuit)? There are many well-known avenues for this, including repeated complaints made to the public prosecution, such as one made by the United Arab Emirates. These, incidentally, pave the way for action. Or could this be just an internal coup within the Wafd Party to bring him down? Or could it be a "freezing" process in the manner of the infamous Safwat Al-Sharif; orchestrating a division within the party that consequently leads it to being suspended until the matter of the division is sorted out, either by mutual consent or in a court of law (though one should be reminded of the famous grandeur of the language used by Safwat Al-Sharif stating that neither a court decision nor an out of court settlement will resolve the problem).
Clearly, these leaks are offered by official security circles that have the capabilities and the authority to eavesdrop on politicians, journalists and activists. Yet, pinpointing who specifically stands behind the leaks remains the problem as there are many circles that possess such resources and powers.
However, what is truly surprising in this regard is not the vilification of Al-Badawi. Only once or twice in the audio leak is he vilified in terms of showing him to be biased in favour of the Muslim Brotherhood and flattering them because he was hoping they would support his candidacy in the presidential elections, though it was rather strange that Al-Badawi should have had such an ambition at the time.
What is truly dangerous about these leaks, if proven to be authentic, is that they undermine Al-Sisi himself and deal a fatal blow to his own project. They may even result in refuting much of the official narrative regarding the events of 30 June 2013.
The leaks show that preparations for crushing the Muslim Brotherhood and "slaughtering them" were planned in 2012 long before the presidential elections. The leaks also charge the security apparatus and accuse it of orchestrating terrorist attacks in order to seize control and create a climate of fear.
This is very puzzling indeed. What interest is served by the security circles that leaked these recordings as a result of propagating such a horrific image; an image that will harm President Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi himself more than anyone else? That is, assuming that the leaks were deliberate and premeditated. One just cannot imagine that whoever made the leaks did not see the seriousness of what they were doing. It is in fact more important and more dangerous than the story about the relationship between Sayyid Al-Badawi himself and the Muslim Brotherhood. It is no secret that all political powers at the time had some sort of a relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, and some even went as far as entering into political and electoral alliances with the group, including Hamdin Sabbahi and his party.
Just one day after the leaks were broadcast, Al-Sisi took everyone by surprise when he called for a meeting with the leader of the Wafd Party and a number of party leaders. This was an absolutely unexpected and unusual political conduct; it is a blatant intervention in the affairs of an independent party – or at least this how it is supposed to seem. It would appear that the President of the Republic is playing the role of a reference point for the party or acting as if he were acting on behalf of the Council of Trustees or as if he were its leader, intervening to settle a dispute, coordinating action and keeping things under control.
Yet, what is more important is that Al-Sisi's invitation to Al-Badawi on the morning of the cannot be dissociated from the issue of the leaks themselves and the row they stirred up. More clearly, Al-Sisi's invitation to Al-Badawi, which may politically translate as a courteous act showing respect for him and also providing him with protection on behalf of the institution of the presidency, means that Al-Sisi wished to convey a message to Al-Badawi, to his party and beyond that to the entire public opinion that he had nothing to do with the leaks, that he is not happy about them, that he never consented to them and even that he is dismayed and angry about the way in which they were propagated.
What the President did for Al-Sayyid Al-Badawi created an impression, which no political observer could miss, that there are certain circles seeking to undermine him, whether knowingly or otherwise, and that he is outraged as a result. It may even give the impression that there is a power struggle among different wings that do not care about the public interest.
The coming weeks will reveal more about this power struggle. It will either be resolved and settled, or it will lead to more chaos.
Translated from Al Mesryoon newspaper, 14 May 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment