The National Rescue Front (NRF) condemned President Mohamed Morsy on Sunday evening for what they considered an “irresponsible act” in calling for a referendum on the proposed constitution, claiming that it was rejected by a large segment of Egyptian society.
The NRF insisted that the president should have announced a referendum only if it was clear that national consensus indicated he should move forward.
The non-Islamist coalition blamed the president for working in the interests of a specific element of Egyptian society, and reiterated its rejection of the constitutional declaration, saying it was “invalid that it was cooked up and stolen in the night.”
The NRF called on all groups to march to Tahrir Square on Tuesday.
Opposition parties plan on escalating their public pressure on Tuesday by marching to the presidential palace. Emad Abu Ghazy, the vice-president of Al-Dostour Party, reiterated the intention of his group and other movements and parties to march to the presidential palace in Heliopolis in demonstration against the proposed constitution and the president’s constitutional declaration.
Abu Ghazy stressed that the march to the palace was not intended to infringe on the premises but to strongly condemn what he claimed is an illegitimate constitution.
Mohamed ElBaradei’s Al-Dostour Party condemned the decision to move forward with the referendum despite the Constituent Assembly’s legitimacy being questioned in court.
The party detailed three demands. Firstly, the rescinding of the constitutional declaration so that national dialogue could be pursued. Secondly, the formation of a second Constituent Assembly that would be agreed upon by all groups and would accurately reflect Egyptian society. Thirdly, Al-Dostour Party demanded that Morsy lead an effort to rectify polarization resulting from the constitutional declaration.
A statement released on Sunday announcing the march to the presidential palace was signed by 18 groups including Al-Dostour Party, the Popular Current, the Social Popular Alliance, the Free Egyptians Party, the Karama Party, the Free Egypt Party, the Egyptian Socialist Party, the Revolutionary Socialists, the National Group for Change, the Kefaya Movement, The Youth Movement for Justice and Freedom, the 6 April Youth Movement (democratic front), the Free Egypt Movement, the National Front for Justice and Democracy, the Free Front for Peaceful Change, the Lotus Revolution Coalition, and the Maspero Youth Union.
