Kirk let me know about this a couple of days ago. It’s interesting, because you see several groups ranging from the Muslim Brotherhood to Kifaya coming together to put a crack in the current system. This is a trend in all authoritarian countries with emerging oppositions, but nonetheless, these are some unlikely temporary bedfellows. In any case, expect Kirk to have more on this later, but here’s the news anyhow.

CAIRO, Egypt ???????? Opposition movements from across Egypt’s political spectrum joined in opposition to President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday with calls for a boycott of September’s presidential vote ???????? heralded by the government as a major step in democratic reform.

Egypt’s often fractious opposition made show of unity at Wednesday’s meeting, which launched National Coalition for Democratic Transformation. The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest and oldest Islamic group, stood together with secular activists and leftists.

“We call from here, from this gathering, all the political forces to boycott the elections,” said Yehia El-Gamal, a Cairo University professor of constitutional law, and one of the leading figures of the coalition.

Egypt will hold it first multi-candidate elections in September, which Mubarak says will bolstering Egyptian democracy. But opponents say Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981, is not about to jeopardize his hold on power by allowing fair competition.

“Suffering from oppression, despotism and absence of freedom is uniting us,” said Brotherhood leader Mohammed Mahdi Akef. “We are not calling for a revolution, we’re calling for right and peace, to establish freedom.”

Akef’s deputy Mohammed Habib said: “Why don’t we all join forces under one banner? That will happen, God willing. We have common ground and will seek to reach an agreement.”

The coalition will be headed by former prime minister Aziz Sedqi and included judges and intellectuals of different ideologies. The Brotherhood and the reform movement Kifaya attended to show their support.

The formation of the coalition was announced last month.

Police cars lined the road to the Lawyers Syndicate where the group held its first meeting. More than 2,000 people filled the hall and spilled into the outside garden where two huge screens were erected. Opposition figures barely on talking terms before sat next to each other at the podium.