Khaled Ali

Ali speaking at Tweet Nadwa in July 2011

Ali's career has been highlighted by several prominent legal cases and victories, most involving corruption and the private sector. He fought corruption by the Mubarak government, which had illegally privatised public land and public sector factories. Suing government officials for selling public property, he won a judgment ordering the return of several large companies to public ownership.[11]

A 2001 judgment in a case spearheaded by Ali saw labor syndicates gain more freedoms.[4][11] His victory winning the renationalisation of large companies, sold by the former regime in corrupt deals,[12] included retailer Omar Effendi, the Nile Cotton Weaving Company and several other factories.[11][13] Ali also served on the legal team that halted the privatisation of Egypt's national health insurance and presided over the legal team[8] advocating for transparency and protection of public insurance[14] and pension funds.

Ali is known for filing and winning a landmark court case in 2010 that forced the government to set a minimum wage commensurate with the cost of living; it was raised to 1,200 Egyptian pounds per month and covers all workers.[7][13] In February 2010, he said, "The government represents the marriage between authority and money—and this marriage needs to be broken up... We call for the resignation of Ahmad Nazif's government because it only works for businessmen and ignores social justice. We call for a minimum wage and a maximum wage, as well as the connection of wages to prices. We also call for annual wage increases in line with inflation rates. We are against the privatisation of the health insurance sector and call for the fixing of all temporary labor contracts."[15] In April 2010, there was a demonstration outside the cabinet office, where approximately 300 workers protested the government's privatisation policy and against the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF), which is controlled by the government. Ali said at the time, "We'll give them a month. If after a month the verdict hasn't been applied in a manner acceptable to workers, all the workers forces taking part in this protest will stage repeated protests until it is implemented," Ali said.[16]

Ali among Egyptian workers protesting against privatisation in July 2011

Throughout Ali's career, he has been a strong supporter of worker's strikes and public sector activism. In 2007, Ali noted the growing trend of strikes as a sign of political change: "Taboos were broken during the past few years of political ferment, and workers grew less afraid," he said.[17] Speaking to a reporter in April 2008 about the general strike taking place, Ali noted that its purpose was not to harm the economy, stating that "the point was to make a strong statement and to take a stand."[18]

Ali supported the December 2008 founding of the independent General Union of Real Estate Tax Authority Employees (RETA). In 2009, amid protests of the state-controlled ETUF and agitation for independent unions in a broad section of trades, Ali said of the tax authority and growing political action by workers in a number of sectors, "The RETA set the example for other workers and civil servants to follow. It's indeed the single most important independent political project in 2009." He also addressed the problem of Egyptian labor, distrust of political parties, which have tried to co-opt labor's causes, and the fear that demonstrations would be brutally suppressed by the government, stating that "there is also a tactical dimension to trying to avoid the wrath of the government and its security apparatus."[19] Ali made the distinction between politics and political parties, however, citing the Muslim Brotherhood's control of professional syndicates, versus the intertwining of Egypt's progressive political movement and labor. "For years, labor constituted the social heart of the progressive political movement, which in turn served as the political brain for labor. That was important for the labor movement to articulate its discourse and negotiate its demands," Ali said.[20]

Ali was interviewed in Cairo in February 2011 by a correspondent from Democracy Now!. Ali said that while middle class youth sparked the Arab Spring, which expressed the political will of the Egyptian people of different classes, the workers had set the stage. "Workers laid the ground for the emergence of this revolution, and I believe that any analysis which says otherwise is superficial," said Ali.[21]

Ali has called on state authorities to allow workers to self-manage their companies when they are stalled, or when investors flee the country.[22]

Ali announcing his candidacy in February 2012

On the evening of 27 February 2012, Ali held a press conference at the Journalists' Syndicate in Cairo to announce his candidacy for president in the 2012 election, hours after announcing the press conference on Twitter.[5] The press conference was a well-attended[28] event, held one day after his 40th birthday, the minimum age eligible to run for the office.[4] He was the youngest candidate to enter the race, saying at the press conference that he "decided to pursue the race as a young man, inclined to support the poor, against military rule and with the rights of our martyrs. I am not afraid, so long as I have the support of all those who dream of freedom, justice, and dignity."[29] At the time, he was an independent and had never been a member of any political party.[30]

Though known as an activist long involved with labor and social justice, Ali insisted that he does not speak for the revolution, which he said is incapable of being represented by any one person.[7] "Am I the candidate of the revolution? Am I the candidate of the young? No! I'm only one voice of many," Ali said in his announcement,[28] calling himself the "candidate of the poor."[31] He said he was running "as an independent young man who [has] sided with the poor" against military rule.[12] His campaign slogan has been translated as "We will fulfill our dream"[32] and "We will realise our dreams."[8]

Gamal Eid, a well-known leftist lawyer and the director of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, who works with the Ali campaign, said that a group of activists and workers began campaigning even before Ali announced his candidacy.[33]

In his candidacy announcement, Ali declared that his entire platform was "built on the basis of social justice," saying it was "not just decoration" but rather his primary focus and guiding principle,[11] and for him, a higher priority than winning the election.[34] He said his mission was to achieve the revolution's goals[30] and spoke of the need to lift Egypt out of poverty, citing education as a "fundamental tool" to accomplish this goal.[32]

According to Ali supporter Eid, social and economic issues, including social equality, restoration of public property illegally sold under Mubarak, ending foreign debt, and stronger opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine were possible points to center Ali's platform around.[33] Ali said, "We must also support the Palestinian struggle against the Zionist occupation; we must collaborate with the Palestinian resistance and lift the blockade on Gaza".[32] Other main issues include building regional economic strength with Iran and Turkey to free the region from "American domination",[12] reversing corrupt Mubarak-era business deals, farmland rehabilitation, raising employment and protecting the rights of workers, natural resources and mineral wealth.[4]

Ali wanted the public sector to regain its status and social importance by "providing affordable goods and proper employment policies". Private property as a concept was not a problem for Ali, who believes that "no society can properly develop" without it;[28] however, the enjoyment of it does not carry the inherent right to violate labor laws. "The worker will not have to visit his employer every day to kiss his hand to get consent. Only law would regulate the relationship between employees and their employers," said Ali.[12] Speaking of his priorities as president, Ali said his primary focus would be restoration of Egypt's assets, lost when the former regime sold them off illegally.[28] Ali called for a mixed economy and a "partnership" of the public, private and cooperative sectors that would prevent price fixing and monopoly. Ali declared his support of reviving the public sector "with or without U.S. consent".[32]

Ali is very critical of the military Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). He has accused them of propaganda and state-media manipulation surrounding the election.[32] He advised the military to maintain its relationship with the Egyptian populace and not to parrot the police, who lost its favor. He spoke out against military ownership of industry and the means of production.[11] Ali has criticised economic assets accumulated by SCAF, championing the need to renationalise factories and other assets. "It is precisely this plethora of institutions they own that prevents them from properly carrying out their mandate," he argued.[28] One particular example Ali criticised is foreign exploitation of 120 of Egypt's gold mines, saying use and development of the nation's mineral wealth should be planned[28] and not become a means for foreign companies to benefit. He also said the army should turn factories and economic projects over to the public sector and let the unemployed work, rather than conscripts.[12]

Ali said some people have exploited Egypt's revolution for their own gain and criticised members of the military and power elite, saying their previous connections with Mubarak have not weakened their undue influence in Egypt. He also spoke against the efforts of military leaders to politicise the police and army, saying plainly, "Stop the use of police and army in media and politics."[12] According to him, the drafting of the new constitution should have been delayed until after the military rulers relinquished power to a civilian government. "It is not reasonable to hold presidential elections while drafting the constitution at the same time," he said.[34]

Ali criticised the transitional military government, which he said used violence to attack both youth and revolutionaries. Asked about allowing the "wheel of production" to turn in order to increase stability and reduce protests, Ali said, "Let the wheel of production stop until it turns with justice," pointing out that allowing production to return did not guarantee an improvement to the underlying problems causing the protests. "Under Mubarak, the wheel increased poverty of the poor while increasing the wealth of the rich," he said,[34] adding that whoever was elected "must be more accountable to Egyptians than Mubarak," vowing to both stand up to military and power elites, and empower the poor if his candidacy was successful.[35]

Ali draws his base of support from his prior work as a lawyer and activist, and his involvement in workers' rights and the 2011 revolution. Many of his supporters were students and activists who were active in the overthrow of the Mubarak regime.[35] He is widely popular among labor and student movements due to his continual efforts at reform and social justice.[32]

Many of Ali's supporters saw him as filling the void left by Mohamed ElBaradei's withdrawal.[29] Samer Soliman, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo acknowledged the gap but expressed some doubt about Ali's ability to fill it.[29] Ali is known primarily as an activist lawyer and as such, as a politician, he was not widely known to his fellow citizens; even those in his circles were surprised by his decision to run, according to Al Akhbar.[29] In contrast to Ali's activist past, some of his well-known opponents were former associates or members of the Mubarak regime. Ali's lack of experience as a politician was also a concern and many, even within the revolutionary movement, remained skeptical about his candidacy,[29] which is seen as a long shot. Critics argued that his campaign was an uphill battle and risked splitting the vote, which could benefit candidates connected with the prior regime.[12]

Members of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and Egyptian Socialists told the Egypt Independent that they were giving "serious consideration" to support of Ali’s candidacy. Marwa Farouk, a member of the Popular Alliance, said that some were "proposing a potential partnership between Khaled Ali and Abouel Fotouh [where Ali can run as his deputy]."[33] No party had yet endorsed Ali as of March 2012.[29]

In September 2017, the Dokki Misdemeanor Court handed Ali a three-month prison sentence and ordered a bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds for "offending public decency" while celebrating a court victory in which he successfully reversed a decision to transfer the sovereignty of the Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia. Ali denied the charge and said he would appeal the decision, with the defence team arguing that video evidence used against Ali had undergone "manipulation".[39] In a statement, Amnesty International characterised the ruling as "a clear signal that the Egyptian authorities are intent on eliminating any rival who could stand in the way of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s victory [in the 2018 elections]."

In November 2017, Ali successfully appealed the ruling, on the grounds that the Dokki Misdemeanor Court had failed to hear the defense's arguments.[40] In September 2018, the Dokki Misdemeanor Appeals Court upheld the ruling, but suspended his sentence for three years.[40]

In October 2017, an unnamed woman circulated an email to various activists and civil society workers accusing Ali of sexual harassment over an incident that took place at his Cairo office in 2015, in which Ali allegedly requested to meet her and steered their conversation toward her personal and sexual relationships, before asking her to spend the night with him. The woman formerly worked with Ali at the ECESR.[41]

In February 2018, the Bread and Freedom Party, which Ali formed in 2013, announced that their investigative committee acquitted him of all charges,[42] but Ali later announced his resignation from both the party and the ECESR, denying the allegations but apologising to the woman, stating that "just her thinking about me in this way and her writing an email of this nature means that I must offer an apology for the pain she experienced. Regardless of the results of the investigation, I bear part of the responsibility, which has prompted me to offer this apology."[41] A formal complaint to the public prosecutor was filed against him later the same month.[43]

In October 2018, a judge issued an order banning Ali from travelling abroad over suspicions of links to a case dating back to late 2011 alleging foreign financing of Egyptian NGOs to harm national security.[44]