Cairo: Thousands converged yesterday on Tahrir Square to demand the country's military rulers to expedite handing over power to a civilian administration.
Waving Egypt's national flag, the demonstrators shouted slogans against the ruling military council that has been in control of Egypt since a popular revolt ousted President Hosni Mubarak in February.
The protest, the biggest in more than one month, came less than two weeks before Egypt goes to the polls to elect a new parliament which is expected to be dominated by Islamists — a faction banned and suppressed under Mubarak.
"The Egyptian people have awakened and will not fall asleep again," chanted thousands of Islamists as others shouted ‘Allah Akbar (God is the Greatest)'.
Protesters also called on the military junta to hold presidential elections in April and hand over power by May. No date has yet been officially set for the presidential polls.
Military budget
They want the withdrawal of a government document that proposes constitutional principles, which could see the military's budget shielded from public scrutiny.
Yesterday's protests were led by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and groups of varying political stripes under different banners who all agree that the military must transfer power to a civilian government as soon as possible.
"The people want a timetable for the handover of power," reads one banner hanging over the square.
A leaflet distributed by the Democratic Alliance, led by the influential Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, urged the military rulers to dissociate themselves from a controversial set of constitutional amendments proposed by the government.
Police and army forces stayed away during the demonstration in Tahrir, a focal point in the anti-Mubarak revolt. Vigilante groups from the Islamists, meanwhile, took control and secured entry points to the square.
People injured in the uprising against Mubarak, meanwhile, joined the rally to protest what they call is the government's negligence of their problems. They wore white shrouds symbolising death.
Constitutional proposals
- The constitutional proposals were unveiled late in October by Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Democratic Transition Ali Al Selmi.
- They define Egypt as a civil state with the Sharia being the main source of legislation.
- The army is the guardian of constitutional democracy in Egypt.
- The army has the right to veto legislation on military affairs and bar parliament from discussing the military budget.
