Egyptians demand army retreat from power
CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians demanded yesterday that their military rulers stick to a pledge to hand over power by mid-year after a row over who can run in the presidential election raised doubts about the armys commitment to democracy.
It's not the 'liberals' who are protesting... | Two leading Islamist candidates, one representing the Muslim Brotherhood who was seen as the frontrunner, were among those disqualified this week from a vote that starts on May 23-24, drawing a storm of criticism from supporters and the candidates. Khairat Al-Shater, the Brotherhoods former candidate, said his ejection showed the generals who have ruled since Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year had no serious intention of quitting. The movement is now fielding a reserve candidate.
We are all here to protect the revolution and complete its demands, said Sayed Gad, 38, a pharmacist and Brotherhood member. He had joined a protest which attracted both Islamists and liberals to a packed Tahrir Square in central Cairo.
A council of generals, who stepped in 14 months ago after mass demonstrations in Tahrir and elsewhere sapped Mubaraks power, has led Egypt through a turbulent transition punctuated by spasms of violence and frequent protests against their handling of the move to democracy.
The army says it will stick to its timetable to hand power to a new president by July 1 and has promised to oversee a fair vote. But some remarks from military officials suggesting the army might also seek now to have a new constitution in place before that handover an impossibly tight deadline for many has added to popular worries about the militarys ambitions.
Western diplomats expect the timetable for transferring powers to hold but say the army which supplied Egypts presidents for six decades, including Mubarak, and which has built up sprawling business interests throughout that time, will remain an influential player behind the scenes for years.
Down with military rule and The people want the execution of the marshal, some protesters chanted, a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mubaraks defense minister for two decades who now leads the ruling military council.
Some demonstrators sheltered under awnings and umbrellas to shade them from the midday sun. Many waved Egyptian flags.
Thousands also gathered in the second city Alexandria and turned out in some other cities. The hours after weekly prayers at mosques on Fridays are traditional times for protests.
No to remnants. No to military rule, read one banner that carried pictures of Mubaraks last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force commander, and of Moussa, a former foreign minister. They are both strong contenders, especially now that the Brotherhoods Shater has been disqualified.
From a stage in Tahrir Square where his supporters had also gathered yesterday, people chanted over loudspeakers: Islamic revolution! With our soul and blood, we sacrifice for Islam! and The Qur'an is the constitution!
Posted by: Steve White 2012-04-21 |