CAIRO: Egypt's ruling military junta can avoid what activists and political parties and movements say is the beginning of the “new revolution” on Friday by withdrawing constitutional proposals that avoid parliamentary oversight of the armed forces by the to be elected new parliament beginning November 28. Political groups on Sunday gave the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces until Wednesday to withdraw the oversight proposal or the groups would hold an anti-military protest on Friday. “It is needed now to put pressure on the military to end its strangle on politics in this country,” Amr Yussif, a 26-year-old activist, told Bikyamasr.com, after leaving an anti-military trials for civilians demonstration on Sunday evening in Cairo. Despite the apparent ultimatum, a number of liberal and Islamist parties and groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, agreed that the army should maintain a special status in terms of the country's national security. The anger toward the military comes after months of wrangling and frustration among activists, who have continued to demand an end to military trials for civilians. According to activists and rights groups, some 12,000 Egyptians have been jailed through the controversial courts. In early November, the cabinet put forward a document of “guiding principles” for the new constitution – to be finalized through a committee established by the new parliament – that would see the military with exclusive authority to approve any legislation on internal affairs, which most activists say would water-down and make lawmakers impotent. George Ishak, a leading figure in the National Association for Change, told Bikyamasr.com that “change is needed and people want democracy, but if the military continues like this we need a new revolution.” His words have been echoed by others, who have called for a boycott of the November 28 vote, saying that to vote in the election would be to “legitimize the SCAF.” Activists, political parties and many movements want to ensure the military is not controlling the country and refuse to allow the parliament and a future president, to be at the whim of the military. “Those meeting today are in agreement that the constitutional document proposed is absolutely rejected by all,” Mohamed Saad el-Katatni, Secretary General of the Freedom and Justice Party said in comments published by Reuters news agency. “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 2012. The groups have said they would meet again on Wednesday in order to discuss the protest plan if the SCAF fails to remove the proposal. Online, the movement to the streets has been growing in popularity, with activists saying that it is time for a new revolution in order to remove the military from its position of power. “We are ready to take to the streets and more and more people are becoming angry at the violence that is being perpetrated against Egyptians in recent weeks,” said another activist. BM
