Islamic News | Muslim Photos of the world | Islamic Wallpapers … » Egyptians protest as military clings to power

Islamic Wallpapers

Egyptians protest as military clings to power

Egyptians are bracing for another volatile weekend, with results expected in the recent presidential election and thousands still on the streets protesting against military rule.Tens of thousands of Egyptians are in Cairo’s Tahrir Square continuing a protest against the military regime’s decision to delay the results from last weekend’s presidential run-off and to dissolve the parliament elected early this year.

Military leaders were due to announce two days ago which candidate won the poll between the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi or Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister in Hosni Mubarak’s ousted regime.

Both men have claimed victory.

Protesters are more suspicious than ever that the military will refuse to hand over power as planned by June 30.

The military leadership maintains it will continue in power until new parliamentary elections can be held.

There was an anxious mood as many protesters vowed to follow their leaders’ calls to camp out until the army also cancels an order curbing the powers of the new president and revokes its dissolution of parliament.

“This is a classic counter-revolution that will only be countered by the might of protesters,” Muslim Brotherhood supporter Safwat Ismail, 43, said.

“I am staying in the square until the military steps down.”

The generals have flatly refused protesters’ demands, heightening a sense of deadlock in achieving the democracy protesters thought they had won after last year’s uprising.

However, officials from the army and Brotherhood have been talking, leading some to see a compromise ahead.

Decree anxiety

In a four-minute statement read on state television as Egyptians were completing their Friday prayers, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) stood by their position, which critics have called a “soft coup”.

“The issuance of the supplementary constitutional decree was necessitated by the needs of administering the affairs of the state during this critical period in the history of our nation,” an announcer said.

Mr Morsi said the generals were defying the will of the people and said protests would go on, but he stopped short of declaring he had won the election.

He urged a prompt announcement of the result, and praised the army as “patriotic”.

The deadlock between Egypt’s two strongest forces has raised grave doubts about prospects for consensual democracy, though some see possible compromise if Mr Morsi becomes president.

However, he has criticised the issuing of the latest decree which gives the military power to step in and force the pace of drafting a constitution, a process which has slowed in parliament by a lack of consensus between Islamists and other parties.

“We do not agree to the issuing of the constitutional decree and neither do the people,” Mr Morsi said.

“Why do we need a supplementary declaration when we are going to draft a new constitution?”

Some politicians involved are due to meet again on today to try to make progress and keep control.

SOURCE:ABC Radio Australia

Comments (0)

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Islamic Wallpapers

Assalam-o-Alaikum!

Modern Muslim Women & Challenges

The Five Pillars of Islam

Shahada

Salat

Zakat

Fasting

Hajj

Stories of Sahabah, Advantages of Sahabah's life history And many more Articles on these topics.

No Comments »

Leave a comment