Brotherhood back in Tahrir to protest closure of parliament, constitution addendum

Ahram Online , Wednesday 20 Jun 2012

Muslim Brotherhood and secular revolutionary forces return to flashpoint square to protest court ruling dissolving Islamist-led parliament, constitutional 'addendum' neutering office of president

After a major demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday attended by tens of thousands of protesters, several thousand members of the Muslim Brotherhood returned to the flashpoint square on Wednesday evening to pressure Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to meet their demands.

The Brotherhood – along with several secular revolutionary groups, including the April 6 Youth Movement – are protesting a recent High Constitutional Court decision dissolving the Islamist-led parliament, along with Sunday's SCAF-issued addendum to last year's Constitutional Declaration. The constitutional addendum radically weakens the powers of the president and leaves most executive authority in the hands of the SCAF.

Tahrir Square protesters on Wednesday chanted anti-SCAF slogans and waved Egyptian flags.

Supporters of Brotherhood presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi, who has already declared victory in the just-concluded runoff vote, have been celebrating in Tahrir Square since Monday morning. Morsi's electoral rival, last Mubarak-era PM Ahmed Shafiq, meanwhile, has also declared himself winner of the hotly-contested runoff.

Final results of Egypt's contentious presidential election will likely be announced on Saturday or Sunday, according to a Wednesday statement by the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission. The announcement had originally been scheduled for Thursday. 

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