Leaders of the Tagammu, Nasserist, Wafd, and Democratic Front parties in a joint meeting on Monday criticized the regime’s perpetuation of the state of emergency for 29 years.
"Emergency pertains to a temporary situation and a limited number of people," said Wafd Party President Mahmoud Abaza. "It cannot be applied to an entire country’s population and for so long."
Legal expert Mohamed Farhat said the emergency law was enacted to "blow up" the freedoms guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution.
Nasserist Party Vice President Sameh Ashour, for his part, demanded that President Hosni Mubarak resign from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). "No constitutional reform will ever take place so long as Mubarak controls the ruling party," he said, contending that the NDP has no credibility on the Egyptian street.
Tagammu Party President Refaat el-Saeed criticized Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif’s cabinet for failing to resolve many recurring crises. "This government should leave before it is forced to leave," he said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
