CAIRO: While the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) said it rejects the "manifesto of supra-constitutional principles," it is yet to decide on joining the protests scheduled for July 29 against the manifesto, said deputy group head Rashad Bayoumy on Thursday. "Whether we participate in the demonstrations or not, we totally reject the move," Bayoumy told Daily News Egypt, adding that the group will likely decide its final standpoint by Saturday. A number of Islamist groups, including the ultra-conservative Salafis, had earlier called for holding a million-man march dubbed "Friday of Identity and Stability." The protests aim at expressing rejection towards the “manifesto of supra-constitutional principles” suggested for establishing the bases and values of the constitution. The manifesto was suggested by a number of political forces and leaders to be presented to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), as a binding, unchangeable document. The National Council put together a first draft of the proposed charter this week that combine 10 similar documents. "Legally, there are no such legal concepts as the principles surpassing the constitution," Bayoumy argued. Among other Islamist groups, the Brotherhood, the largest and well-organized in Egypt, described the proposed manifesto as a bid to "circumvent the people's will." "There should be no obstacles at this transitional stage that would hinder the process of smoothly… handing over [the country] to an elected civilian authority," Bayoumy said. The MB faced political isolation from other groups since a March 19 referendum on constitutional amendments where 77.2 percent of Egyptians cast a yes vote. Those who voted no accused the Brotherhood and other Islamsit groups of exploiting religion to sway people towards a yes vote, arguably to hasten parliamentary elections that would benefit them at the polls since they are the only organized political force on the scene. The Egyptian Coalition for Monitoring Elections, made up of 123 civil society organizations and rights groups, said in a statement following the referendum that MB members were seen trying to convince voters at polling stations to vote yes. Other analysts argued that the yes vote was a result of the army not presenting a clear scenario in case the majority voted no, in addition to selling the yes-vote as the choice of stability. The amendments have been subject to wide controversy since they were first proposed. Several political forces have been calling for drafting a new constitution prior to parliamentary and presidential elections, rejecting the modifications to the 1971 one. Later on March 30, SCAF announced a 62-artcile constitutional decree that incorporated the 11 amendments to be the base for drafting the constitution after the presidential and parliamentary polls are held. Many political groups fiercely criticized the decree saying it should have been put to public referendum for approval, reiterating their earlier demand of writing a new constitution first. "This debate will be over once a legitimate committee to draft a constitution is elected,” Bayoumy concluded.
