Protests mount against power grab by Egyptian military

The constitutional panel will consist largely of holdovers from the Mubarak dictatorship and direct representatives of big business

Patrick Martin
WSWS.org
November 8, 2011

Thousands of young people are participating in a renewed campaign of protests in Tahrir Square against the drive by the ruling Egyptian military junta to entrench its position and maintain control over Egypt.

The demonstrations, under the slogan of “reclaim the revolution,” give voice to the widespread popular distrust of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

SCAF leader Mohammed Tantawi, a longtime stooge of Mubarak, has pledged to turn over power to a civilian administration once the parliamentary elections are completed.

[...]

The charter would limit the newly elected parliament to selecting only 20 of the 100-member panel mandated to draft a new constitution. The remaining 80 would be selected by other institutions—including the military brass, the judiciary and university officials (all former Mubarak appointees) and other supposed representatives of “civil society.” In other words, the constitutional panel will consist largely of holdovers from the Mubarak dictatorship and direct representatives of big business.

Read full article

This article was posted: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 2:16 pm

---

---

---

---