The new constitutional declaration on parliamentary elections, which was issued by the military council on 25 September, has provoked condemnation from a number of political forces.
Several political leaders said the declaration goes against the people’s wishes, and threatened to hold million-strong demonstrations in Tahrir Square and in major cities on Friday under the slogan “Reclaiming the Revolution.”
They added that the decision to restrict publication of the declaration to the Official Gazette reflects a state of confusion within the military council. “They cannot just publish it without putting it up for a political dialogue,” said Mohamed al-Qassas of the Islamist Egyptian Trend Party.
“All Sufi parties will take part in the demonstrations in rejection of the declaration,” said Essam Mohy, secretary general of Al-Tahrir Al-Masry Party.
Political forces had requested that elections be held on the basis of list-based candidacy, but the military council decided to allocate two thirds of the parliamentary seats to list-based candidacies, and one third to the single-winner system.
“The declaration gives remnants of the former regime a chance to run in the elections,” said Ahmed Derag, assistant coordinator of the National Association for Change.
“Redistributing the electoral districts means no one will win a majority,” he added.
The Wafd Party, meanwhile, has called on all forces to accept the declaration.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
