Egyptian democracy activist and April 6th Movement co-founder Ahmed Maher recently descended upon Washington, D.C. to make a case for a “2nd Egyptian Revolution.” In a speech before the Arab American Institute, Maher said that keeping constant pressure on the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) is the only way that the dreams of the revolution can be realized.
In an iPhone QuickTake interview with VOA’s Davin Hutchins, Maher said that SCAF is essentially an extension of the Mubarak regime by keeping the policies and personalities of the old guard in place. Maher says the “second revolution” in Egypt will take place during the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections and subsequent elections for years to come.
He says his April 6th Movement is focused on getting ordinary Egyptians involved with the political process and voting while also marginalizing candidates formerly allied with Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) which is now banned.
Maher stressed that if the elections are not fair and inclusive, Egypt’s youth are ready to take to the streets again en masse to achieve their goals.