Apology sought in Egypt over violence against protesters

Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has asked the government to apologise for what it described as the crime committed by security forces against anti-regime protesters in Tahrir square in Cairo and elsewhere across the country over the weekend.

The violence over the past three days, as citizens protested a perceived delay in the political transition programme by the interim government, left 10 dead and 1700 injured, according to the Egyptian health ministry.

In an official statement, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice political party also warned against postponing the 28 Nov. legislative elections under whatever pretext. The interim rulers have assured that the elections will proceed as scheduled.

In other reactions to the biggest anti-regime protests in Egypt since the January 25 revolution, the Salafist Nour party called on its followers to halt their sit-in in Tahrir square and avoid confrontation with security forces.

Al-Wassat paty, another force with Islamic background, urged the country's interim military rulers to set 28 April as the date for presidential elections and its return to its barracks, while denouncing violence against protesters.

Meanwhile, Al-Wafd, the oldest liberal party in Egypt, has accused ''foreign hands'' of attempting to block Egypt's transition to democracy by fabricating conflicts with just over a week to go before the first elections in the post-revolution era in Egypt.

On its part, the National Front for Peaceful change called for the formation of a national unity government to "save" the January revolution.

The 6th of April youth movement held an almost identical stance to that of the National Front for Peaceful change, in its reaction to the protest.

On Sunday, Egypt's National Egyptian Council called on all political parties to be calm and avoid confrontation with the country's interim rulers, whom it described as honest in its pledges not to extend the transitional period in the north African country.
-0- PANA MI/SEG 21Nov2011