Egyptian political groups on Sunday gave the ruling generals until tomorrow to withdraw a constitutional proposal that shields the army from oversight in parliament, saying they would otherwise hold an anti-military protest on Friday.
Islamist and liberal parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, said however that the army would still have special status, but only in relation to issues of national security.
Earlier this month, the Cabinet proposed a document of guiding principles for a new constitution that gave the military exclusive authority to approve any legislation on its internal affairs, potentially allowing it to defy an elected government.
However, political groups and democracy campaigners objected, fearing that the new parliament would count for little unless the army submits to civilian rule and a future president who will replace former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a February uprising.
“Those meeting today are in agreement that the constitutional document proposed is absolutely rejected by all,” said Mohamed Saad el-Katatni, secretary-general of the Freedom and Justice Party.
“We therefore ask that the government and the military council end this controversy over this issue,” he said, adding that the parties also called for a timetable to hold presidential elections by April next year.
The parties would meet again tomorrow to discuss the possibility of holding a protest on Friday should the military council fail to withdraw its proposal, Katatni added.
Winners in the parliamentary elections scheduled for Nov. 28 will have a chance to draft the new constitution, the subject of power struggles between Islamists, liberals and the army.
However, Katatni, reading a joint statement, said the parties offered the army guarantees regarding “all that is related to national security.”
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