The Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday issued its first strongly-worded statement against the ruling military council since the 25 January Revolution, requesting that it “meet the many promises it had given,” a declaration that some observers see as further evidence that the “honeymoon” between Islamist group and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) is over.
The statement was not the first by the Brotherhood to criticize the council in recent weeks. In mid-August, the military council demanded that the council refrain from interfering in how the constitution is drawn up. The statement had come in response to the council’s announced pledge to draw up a list of supra-constitutional principles for framing the constitution.
The Brotherhood's statement on Wednesday, which was titled "The Critical Stage the Revolution is Going Through," reminded the council of Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab, a Sudanese army officer who led a coup against Sudanese President Nimeiri and left after the six-month transition period, as promised.
It drew attention to attempts to postpone parliamentary and presidential elections, and the subsequent writing of a new constitution. The group said it feared the military might remain in power indefinitely, and said that prolonged military rule would be a violation of the revolution and a continuation of the former regime’s policies.
The statement also reiterated the Brotherhood's criticism of the council pledge to present supra-constitutional principles, a move it said violated the people’s will, as manifested in the referendum on constitutional amendments held in March.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
