Revolutionary youth coalitions and political parties have announced their participation in a demonstration in Tahrir Square on Friday to demand the ouster of the military from Egypt's political life.
Meanwhile, protesters are continuing their sit-in for the tenth day in the square, while rejoicing the victory of Brotherhood President-elect Mohamed Morsy. Some protesters wonder whether they should go on pressing for the cancellation of the supplement to the Constitutional Declaration and the reinstatement of Parliament, or leave the square.
Just as the presidential runoff was wrapping up, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued an addendum to the interim Constitutional Declaration which limited the powers of the incoming president and gave legislative authority to the SCAF after Parliament was dissolved by a court ruling.
Some have been commending the dissolution of the mostly Islamist Parliament, saying that it had been ineffective.
But Farid Ismail, a member of the dissolved Parliament, took to a stage in Tahrir to present Parliament’s achievements before its disbanding, namely shortening the high school certificate exam from three years to one year in order to alleviate extra costs for families, resolving the problem of the Iraqi remittances owed to Egyptian laborers, and the study of the Aqaba causeway project that costs LE25 billion and its effects on development. He said that Parliament was also responsible for the permanent contracts signed with temporary laborers and the fair distribution of agricultural land.
The New Labor Party issued a circular urging the demonstrators to continue protesting in all the squares of Egypt until the president is granted his full powers.
Islamist movements and parties have also announced that they would continue protesting until all powers are granted to the president, and that they would take part in Friday’s demonstration.
“We shall not leave the square unless Parliament is back and the declaration is cancelled,” said Muslim Brotherhood Secretary General Mahmoud Hussein.
Mostafa Sayed, vice president of the Salafi Nour Party, called on all political forces to participate in the demonstration, while Salafi preacher Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, former candidate for the presidency, confirmed that he and his followers would be there.
On Thursday evening, the sit-in was attacked by thugs armed with clubs and knives. Demonstrators managed to catch two of them, of whom one was taken to the field hospital for treatment.
Following the clashes, the demonstrators secured the entrances and exits of the square, and asked the street vendors to leave.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
