The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party on Wednesday reiterated their call for the ruling military council to hand over power to an elected administration, saying they would like to see this accomplished through presidential elections to be held simultaneously with elections for the constituent assembly that will write Egypt's new constitution.
The violence at Maspero indicates the existence of people who are seeking to create chaos in the country, the party said in its weekly statement.
The statement also demanded the resolution of persisting issues of Coptic assimilation, including what Copts see as prohibitive legal restrictions on building churches.
Violence broke out late on Sunday between the armed forces and Coptic protesters in front of the state TV building, leaving 26 dead and at least 300 injured.
The Freedom and Justice Party statement also criticized the cabinet’s performance in dealing with the current sectarian crisis. Last week in the village of Marinab, near Aswan, a group of Muslims attempted to burn down a building that Copts in the village were attempting to convert into a church, after an additional floor and dome were built above a guesthouse without a permit. No casualties reported in the incident.
The statement accused the cabinet of being politically weak for not adequately enforcing the law in this and other incidents.
It has become clear to all that the church construction issue is crucial and must be resolved, the statement read, adding that the issue has been behind sectarian strife and tension among the population.
Copts, as well other minority groups in Egypt, suffered under the Mubarak regime and the time has come to resolve their situation, the statement said.
The party also called on Egypt's military rulers to take immediate measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again, adding that such violence should not be a reason to continue trying civilians in military courts and not end the state of emergency, as such exceptional measures are not the right way out of the present crisis.
Regarding presidential elections, the party emphasized that it is committed to obeying the people’s will, whatever their choice.
The party reiterated the importance of creating a wide political alliance, saying it doesn’t reject several party lists and electoral blocs as they benefit the electoral process.
The statement called on political groups to give their thoughts about what they think will be the best form of government – parliamentary or presidential – as well as suggest how to write the new constitution and hence end the interim period.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
