Several political movements and a presidential campaign staff today threatened to organize a demonstration on October 28 in Tahrir Square in the event that the Egyptian ruling military council does not announce a timeline for the transfer of power to a civilian authority. The movements demanded that April be the latest possible date for presidential election campaigns, with an election to be held in May. The 15 political coalitions included the April 6 Youth Movement and the presidential campaign for Hazem Abou Ismail. The movements issued a statement warning the ruling military council against prolonging the elections. A long transitional period will increase security and sectarian risks, the statement said, adding that the absence of an elected authority feels too much like a dictatorship – the motivation for the January 25 Revolution. The military council's policies do not impose stability on the political stage and are contradictory, the statement continued. The coalitions also criticized the military council's governing performance, including its failure to meet the people's demands, the slow process of trying former regime officials and the growing fears of clashes between the armed forces and common Egyptians.
