Egypt

Civilian forces form bloc against religious despotism, former regime

The Tagammu Party, Free Egyptians Party, and Democratic Front Party have announced that they and other parties are forming a coalition to "protect Egypt from theocratical despotism and the revival of the former regime."

The bloc said in a statement, delivered by former MP Alaa Abdel Moneim, that the secular forces are against the combination of religion and power, and the militarization of the state.

"We reject the state of polarization and showing off power which drives the country towards division [and which] changes Tahrir Square from a place that united us against tyranny to a square that divides revolutionary forces," the statement read.

In the statement, the groups said they respect the Egyptian judiciary and its rulings, and that they reject criticism of the judicial authority and attempts to involve the judiciary in politics. They said they would accept the outcome of the presidential elections whatever they are.

The groups also said they rejected Arab and foreign interference in Egypt's internal affairs.

The coalition called on all the Egyptian political forces to rally and draft a constitution for a modern civil state, saying they disapproved of the law that gave military intelligence and military police personnel the right to arrest civilians.

Abdel Moneim also said that revolutionary forces had also previously rejected the Constitutional Declaration issued by the SCAF on 30 March which expanded the military council’s powers.

"We and all the segments of society took to streets in million-man peaceful demonstrations without imposing our opinion, violating a law or seeking narrow party interests," he said.
 
The coalition also accused the Muslim Brotherhood of compromising the state of the country by insisting on holding the elections before drafting a constitution, and said that they did not approve of the party monopolizing the drafting of the constitution.

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