Egypt's National Salvation Front sets five demands for President Morsi

Egypt's main opposition grouping will boycott parliamentary elections unless its stated demands are met

NSF leaders Hamdeen Sabbahi and Mohamed ElBaradei

Egypt’s main opposition grouping, the National Salvation Front (NSF), has urged President Mohamed Morsi to respond positively to five demands announced by the group or face mass peaceful protests.
In a statement released Saturday following an emergency meeting by front leaders in Cairo, the NSF said:

1. The NSF mourns the martyrs of the January 25 Revolution’s second wave in Suez, Port Said, Ismailia and all Egyptians squares. We hold the president responsible for the excessive violence used by security forces against protesters, demanding that a neutral investigative committee be formed to punish those responsible for the bloodshed. We further call upon Egyptians to continue their peaceful protests, and condemn all acts of violence.

2. We call for the formation of neutral legal committee to amend the distorted constitution and to reach aconsensus on articles that needs to be changed immediately.

3. We demand the formation of a national salvation government that ensures efficiency and credibility, that will implement the demands of the revolution, particularly social justice after the policy of the president and Cabinet has led to a deterioration in the lives of Egyptians.

4. Halting the tyrannical constitutional declaration concerning its aggression on judicial independence and the sacking of the public prosecutor.

5. The Muslim Brotherhood group should be subject to the law after being a main element in the country’s administration for almost a year with no legal or legitimate foundation.

The NSF stressed that if their “legitimate” demands were not met in the coming days, the front would call on Egyptians to peacefully protest next Friday to topple the “invalid” constitution and to readopt temporarily the 1971 Constitution.

The front further demanded that an early date be set for new presidential elections.

“The NSF has decided not to run in the parliamentary elections unless a comprehensive solution similar to that suggested is reached,” added the statement.