Thirty-four different political movements and parties have appealed for all Egyptians to join the Friday 20 April demonstrations against former regime remnants and continued military rule, in a statement released Wednesday. The document also adopted a critical tone against the Muslim Brotherhood, asserting they were "dividing revolutionary lines" and should reconsider their stands.
In their press release the signatories criticised the role of the military junta since it took power, stating it has only been working to divide the revolutionary movements and serve the interests of the former regime, which "it has always been an integral part of."
The groups considered the March 2011 constitutional referendum as the first tool the military junta used to divide people and maintain full power.
"Unfortunately," the statement further added, "the Muslim Brotherhood bear part of the responsibility for weakening the revolution's momentum and diverting its path as they preferred their narrow party interests over that of the people, whose interests can only be achieved by fulfilling the revolution."
The undersigned declared their complete rejection of any attempts to delay the handing over of power, adding that a temporary president is voted in to oversee the drafting of the new constitution guaranteeing there will be no interference from the ruling military council. Based upon these demands the groups called on all Egyptians to join the Friday demonstrations demanding an end to military rule and its former regime remnants.
The detailed demands included:
1. Parliament issues a law that would hold accountable former regime figures, who would be isolated politically, and all those responsible for killing the revolution's martyrs.
2. An immediate end to emergency law as well as the civil retrial of all civilians who have faced a military court.
3. Cancelling Article 28 of the Constitutional Declaration and referring the supervision of the presidential elections to a judicial committee whose members have not been appointed by the former regime.
4. Cancelling the Constitutional Declaration article which gives the military council the authority to overrule laws issued by Parliament.
5. Forming a constituent assembly equally representative of all factions of Egyptian society and whose members are chosen from outside Parliament. The new constituent assembly would also uphold the ideals of the revolution cherishing freedom and social justice and rejecting any military privileges or guardianship over the constitution
The statement finally called on all political forces, especially the "majority political force" (the Muslim Brotherhood) as well as the presidential candidates who are considered to be part of the revolution, to overcome "narrow interests" and stand united against the ruling military council.
The groups and parties releasing the statement included the Coalition of Revolutionary Forces, the National Front for Justice and Democracy, the Popular Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Revolutionary Youth Coalition, the Revolutionary Socialists, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Al-Adl Party, the Free Salafist Youth Movement, the Justice and Freedom Youth Movement, the Coalition of Feminist Movements, the National Youth Association for Change amongst several others.
