The majority of Islamist parties in Egypt have announced they would boycott a protest planned for tomorrow. The protest, dubbed the "Tuesday of Determination,” is to demand that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) hand over power to a civilian authority and that presidential elections be held before the constitution is finalized. The Muslim Brotherhood, Jama’a al-Islamiya and the Salafis said they would boycott the protest, but Sufis said they would participate.
“The Jama’a will not participate in the million-man [protest] and urges the People’s Assembly not to become subject to blackmail attempts by some protesters who want chaos and who are trying to embarrass the People’s Assembly,” said Assem Abdel Maged, director of the Jama’a al-Islamiya’s Information Office.
Abdel Maged told Al-Masry Al-Youm that “these protestors want to create a clash between the SCAF and Parliament through their demands.”
The demands are “contradictory, as they are demanding the immediate transfer of power while demanding political trials for all icons of the former regime,” he said. He added that the protesters “don’t want a single institution to remain standing in the country.”
Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leader Ahmed Abu Baraka explained why his party would not participate as well.
“We won’t participate in this million-man protest, as there is a constitutional system set in place and which must be respected. The former regime’s most grave violation was that it did not respect the law and the constitution,” he said. He added that results of the constitutional referendum held on 19 March must be respected.
Noting that President Anwar al-Sadat was elected before the 1971 constitution was finalized, he claimed there was no constitutional problem in electing the president before creating the constitution.
He added that if the president is elected prior to the constitution, he will receive his powers from the new constitution once it comes into existence.
FJP Youth Secretary Ali Khafagy suggested other reasons for the Brotherhood opposition to the protest.
“The Brotherhood did not call on people to participate in the Tuesday of Determination, and the organization of any million-man protests must be done in coordination with all national forces,” Khafagy said, asserting that it was unlikely the Brotherhood would head to Tahrir Square in coming days. He accused a third party, which includes remnants of the former regime and the now-dissolved State Security and Investigations Service, of igniting recent violence, in particular that which took place at Maspero and Tahrir Square.
He explained that FJP leadership is currently reviewing a report it conducted on attacks against the Brotherhood in Tahrir Square.
Nour Party spokesman Nader Bakar said his party would not participate in Tuesday’s million-man protest.
“We’ll support the MPs to achieve the revolution’s goals,” he told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
He went on to say the party would demand that the government form the committee to draft the constitution at the same time that it allows potential presidential candidates the opportunity to nominate themselves. The party would push for the completed constitution to be presented for popular approval before presidential elections are held.
Meanwhile, Salafi Asala Party leader Adel Afifi said that due to clashes that erupted between protesters and some citizens Sunday evening outside Maspero, the party’s supreme committee decided against participation in the million-man protest, in order to prevent more bloodshed and chaos.
He told Al-Masry Al-Youm that his party supports finalizing the constitution before presidential elections in order to help limit presidential powers.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
