Tarek al-Kholy, former spokesperson for the April 6 Youth Movement-Democratic Front called off a press conference at the El Sawy Culture Wheel Tuesday, where he was to announce his intention to change the movement into a party.
Kholy justified his decision to cancel the event by saying that some youth who claiming to be members of the movement banned participants and journalists from entering.
News about the founding of an April 6 Party raised concern with some political actors, who feared that the party will be able to compete with other parties and have a presence on the street.
Ahmed Maher, the movement's general coordinated, described the move as a misuse of the movement's name and a deviation from its official line, adding that the real founders of the movement will not allow its name to be stolen.
For his part, Mohamed El Sawy, director of the El Sawy Culture Wheel, said that he cancelled a conference that was booked by Kholy in the name of April 6 Youth Movement because the Political Bureau of the movement informed him that Kholy had been dismissed and no longer represented it.
The movement’s Political Bureau member Abdel Rahman Badr told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Kholy used the movement’s logo and email address and is trying to turn the movement into a political party in collusion with businessmen affiliated with the former regime.
“Kholy and 10 businessmen want to convert the movement into a political party with an ideology opposed to the Brotherhood,” Badr said. “An opposition for the sake of opposition.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
