The acting board of directors of the newly-established Constitution Party issued a statement on Sunday announcing the delay of its official launch – which had been scheduled for 18 May – due to Friday’s bloodshed in Abbasiya.

The statement, issued by party head and onetime presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei, went on to say that the party would resume membership procedures and continue to collect signatures from would-be supporters.

At least two people were killed and hundreds injured by unknown perpetrators on Friday during the violent dispersal of a sit-in protest against military rule held outside Egypt’s defence ministry in Cairo's Abbasiya district.

ElBaradei, a well-known reform campaigner, withdrew from the presidential race in January to protest the decision to elect a president before drafting a new constitution.

Along with ElBaradei, founders of the new Constitution Party include prominent author Alaa El-Aswany, international law professor Hossam Eissa and activists Ahmed Harara and Hala Shukrallah.

The party includes several other well-known public figures, such as economist Galal Amin; television host Gamila Ismail; Kefaya protest movement founder George Ishaq; film director Khaled Youssef; film producer Mohamed El-Adl; and Revolutionary Youth Coalition co-founder Shadi El-Ghazali Harb.