Islamist political parties and groups approved the statement issued by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on Tuesday, saying it responds to revolutionary demands and will calm protesters.
The SCAF statement warned against attempts to hijack power, amid calls for forming a civilian presidential council to run the country during the interim period.
“We support the SCAF statement, which is trying to curb attempts of hijacking power and end the state of chaos," Jama'a al-Islamiya spokesperson Assem Abdel Maged said.
Abdel Maged called on the military to face the protesters threatening to hinder subway traffic and Suez Canal movement. He said that the protesters’ calls for a million-man protest on Tuesday at 5 pm have failed.
Meanwhile, Jama'a al-Islamiya leader Tareq al-Zomor said, “We believe protesting in streets will yield nothing other than a step backward, which will kill the revolution’s demands.”
Sheikh Mohamed al-Shahawy, head of the International Sufi Council and chief of the Shahaweya order, said the SCAF statement will calm people in the streets.
The SCAF said it will hand over power, Shahawy added, saying that people should trust the military council and give it a chance to run the country.
Adel Afify, head of a newly-founded Salafi party, Asala, said that the statement ends controversies over the writing the constitution ahead of parliamentary elections, indicating that elections will be held first. He went on to say that holding elections first was the people’s demand in the first place.
Mohamed Yousry, spokesperson of the Salafi Nour Party, was amazed by voices calling for Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s dismissal, saying, “Why wasn’t this the situation with [former Prime Minister] Ahmed Nazif with all the crimes he committed against Egyptians?”
Some of the people’s demands for escalation against the ruling military council will be rejected by a wide segment of people because all of us respect the armed forces, Yousry added.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
