CAIRO: Thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square on Friday calling for the transfer of power to civilian rule by the military council by next April, in the absence of political parties. Some protesters also called for boycotting the next parliamentary elections, concerned about the high participation of remnants of the ousted regime since the political exclusion law has not been implemented. The Friday protest was marked by the heavy presence of supporters of presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abou Ismail, as well as several movements such as the Federation of the Egyptian Revolution, the Coalition of Political Salafi Youth, the April 6 Youth Movement, Second and Third Egyptian Revolution of Anger, Bedaya Movement, Justice Movement, Get Up Egypt Campaign, Salafyo Costa and the Free Front for Change. The protest was dubbed "Friday of Defending the Revolution" and “Friday of the One Demand.” Demonstrators chanted “The people want to topple the Field Marshal and the Prime Minister,” “Down with military rule,” “Members of the military council are criminals,” as well as chants against the participation of former National Democratic Party members in the coming elections. The participating forces issued a statement on Wednesday saying that “it has been eight months since Mubarak stepped down and it has become apparent that the military council and the government of Essam Sharaf will not be able to achieve the goals of the revolution nor will they bring justice to the martyrs and the country cannot tolerate this situation until mid-2013, when the military council is scheduled to hand over power.” Moreover, the statement demanded that the presidential elections process start no later than April 2012 and for the elections to be held in early May. Two stages were set up at the center of the square; the first, dubbed as “the People's Stage,” was set up by several independent movements while the second belonged to Abou Ismail's supporters. “We are staying in Tahrir Square and our stage will not be removed until our demands are met,” said Gomaa Mohamed Aly, general coordinator of the House of Revolution Coalition from Port Said. “We will not be fooled by the military council; they have previously promised to hand over power and that the Field Marshal will not run for president, the first promise was not kept and I believe the second will not be,” said Maged El-Assal, a physician. “The military council is leading people to hate the revolution,” he added. Mohamed Dessouky, general coordinator of the National Center for Popular Committees, a movement engineered to protect public facilities, said they have co-created a new movement dubbed as “Catch a Remnant” to prohibit remnants of the ousted ruling party from winning in the upcoming elections through pointing them out to the general public and disclosing their history. “Our only demand is to have an elected president by May 2012,” Ammar Aboul Ghait, vice president of Abou Ismail's campaign told Daily News Egypt. “The council should also protect and ensure the success of the parliamentary elections as many forces seek its failure and will work towards that goal.” Aboul Ghait said a meeting was set to be held Friday night in Tahrir Square to decide on the next steps to be taken and that a decision to hold a sit-in “is highly possible.” Supporters of presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abou Ismail came out in large numbers. (Daily News Egypt Photo / Hassan Ibrahim)
