Egypt’s Tamarod collects 15m signatures

Egyptian opposition party Tamarod announced on Thursday that the movement has collected 15 million signatures. The campaign spokesperson Mahmoud Badr, and its organiser claimed that Tamarod had already collected 15 million signatures, despite doubts expressed by Islamist groups. He also said that Tamarod is considering the possibility of inviting a United Nations mission to oversee counting of its signatures for an anti-government petition. The campaign is currently in discussions with Egypt's foreign ministry, he added. Badr said the new initiative will ensure no petition forms were forged. Tamarod, which means "rebel" in Arabic, has called for demonstrations on June 30, withdrawing confidence in President Mohammed Morsi and demanding early presidential elections. Campaign organisers said Tamarod will be setting up operation rooms to monitor events during June 30 protests.