Thousands of Egyptians have gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square calling for the ruling military council to keep to a pledge to hand over power by June.

With a little over one month until Egypt’s presidential election first round, protesters said they were worried that the military might try to stay on after the vote due to delays writing the new Egyptian constitution.

Suspicions are high because of accusations of mismanagement and recent violent clashes.

Protester Mohamed Mahmoud said many people were losing hope: “We all feel that nothing has been accomplished since the revolution a year and a half ago. We still suffer fraud and oppression.”

The rally comes in the same week that several members of ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s regime were barred from running for office. They included his former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.

Islamist groups, which control both houses of parliament, have ignored previous protests, but they joined Friday’s rally. Commentators said it was a sign that even their patience with Egypt’s military rulers has become strained.

SOURCE: euronews