Popular Socialist Alliance: New leftist party in Egypt

Ola Shahba lives in Cairo, Egypt and is a member of the Socialist Renewal Current, the Youth for Justice and Freedom Youth Movement and is on the workers and youth committees of Egypt's leftist Popular Socialist Alliance Party. She worked alongside Mina Daniels, one of the martyrs of the Egyptian military's massacre of peaceful protesters on October 9/10, 2011 who were protesting for equal rights for Egyptian Copts.

The Popular Socialist Alliance party members have been mobilising youth, workers and people in rural and marginalised areas. The party was founded after the Egyptian Revolution began, with the aim of uniting different leftist groups. It was the first left party formed after the January 25 Revolution to successfully register for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Participating in the November elections will give the party a chance to introduce their social and economic justice platform, monitor any inconsistencies in the elections, and possibly gain some seats in the People’s Assembly.

The party left the Egyptian Bloc Coalition because other parties in the Coalition introduced candidates that belonged to the now defunct National Democratic Party, Mubarak's former political party. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has refused to introduce a law that would block former NDP members from participating in the People's Assembly elections.

In this interview, recorded at a downtown Cairo cafe on June 26, 2011, Ola Shahba speaks about the Popular Socialist Alliance Party, their vision for Egyptian society, the coming wave of the Revolution and the upcoming elections.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News.