Cairo: The head of Egypt’s armed forces on Sunday rejected accusations that the military is throwing its weight behind a candidate in next month’s presidential elections a day after thousands of people demonstrated against the ruling generals.
The statement from Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who leads the military council that has ruled Egypt since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster last year, came a day after tens of thousands of Egyptians packed Cairo’s Tahrir Square to denounce military rule. Protesters accused the generals of trying to manipulate the May presidential vote. Speaking at a military training exercise on Sunday, Tantawi said the armed forces are focused at the moment on handing power to an elected civilian government, not on hanging on to power. He also insisted the military was not picking favourites in the presidential race. The military has over the past year used deadly violence to disperse protests against its rule. (AP)
