CAIRO: If upcoming parliamentary elections had once divided Egypt's political forces, the military's actions in trying to clear demonstrators from Tahrir Square by force have to some degree reunited them. Since the first moves to clear the square on Saturday morning, a succession of political parties and public figures, including some who did not participate in Friday's demonstration or who advised against a sit-in afterwards, have criticized the army's actions and defended the right of demonstrators to stay at Tahrir. Several leading figures in the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, expressed their solidarity with the demonstrators. Although the party had opposed holding a sit-in after Friday's demonstration, the party's general secretary Muhammad Al-Katatiny issued a statement on Saturday denouncing the use of violence against demonstrators. He affirmed that “holding peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins to express one's opinions is a guaranteed right, provided that they are within the bounds of the law and do not impede traffic and the means of production or harm national interests.” FJP's Muhammad Al-Baltagi wrote on his Facebook page that he had gone to Tahrir on Sunday evening and some demonstrators had expressed anger to him for the Brotherhood's failure to participate in the sit-in. ‘They are right to be angry and we need to revise our position,” he wrote. The Freedom and Justice Party also called on all political parties and revolutionary forces “not to permit anyone to move us backwards, and to continue working to bring about the parliamentary elections which are the first step towards stability and towards the transfer of power from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to a civilian government elected by popular will.” The Egyptian Social Democratic Party, which had not taken part in Friday's demonstration, issued a strong statement supporting the rights of protestors and applauding their determination. It has now called on Egyptians to participate in “million-man protests” in Tahrir Square and in other Egyptian cities on Tuesday, calling for the resignation of the Sharaf government and the formation of a government of national salvation. Activists and politicians are also demanding the complete reform of the Interior Ministry including the dissolution of the Central Security Forces directorate and the prosecution of “those who have polluted their hands with the blood of Egyptians.” The Free Egyptians Party, which had opposed Friday's demonstration, issued a statement on Saturday condemning all forms of violence against demonstrators. The party, however, said that the events in Tahrir were “the direct result of the demonstrations which do not represent a point of national consensus.” It called for efforts to reach consensus among all political forces on a set of constitutional principles, and insisted that the parliamentary elections should proceed as planned. Amr Hamzawy, a leading figure in the Egypt Freedom Party, also condemned the violence against demonstrators, and suspended his electoral campaign for two days in protest, while affirming the necessity of proceeding with the elections. The Popular Socialist Alliance, one of the main parties in ‘The Revolution Continues” electoral alliance, declared its support for “the democracy of the squares.” It said that it was continuing its discussions with its partners in ‘The Revolution Continues” electoral bloc – which include the Equality and Development Party, the Egyptian Movement party formed by former Muslim Brotherhood youth activists, the Egypt Freedom Party and the Egyptian Alliance Party – with a view to deciding whether to boycott the election in protest at the attacks on demonstrators, or continue to take part in order to ensure an end to military rule. The party secretariat will also meet tomorrow to consider its position. BM
