Frequently criticised for being splintered, Egypt’s opposition, comprising mainly secularists and leftists, has projected a united front in reaction to Mursi’s decree, granting himself sweeping new powers. The key opposition groups are:
- The Constitution Party led by Mohammad Al Baradei, the former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Al Baradei is widely seen as a catalyst of a popular uprising that forced former strongman to step down more than a year ago.
- The Popular Current, a coalition of revolutionary and leftist groups, led by Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential contender.
- The Congress Party, a secular-minded grouping, headed by Amr Mousa, a former presidential candidate and an ex-head of the Arab League. Al Baradei, Sabahi and Mousa launched on Saturday the National Salvation Coalition Front, an alliance aimed at coordinating moves to push for the reversal of Mursi’s decree, slammed by the opposition as a “coup against legitimacy and democracy”.
- Protest groups, mainly made up of young activists who played a key role in the anti-Mubarak uprising.
- The judges who have called on courts and prosecution offices to suspend work until Mursi reverses his sweeping powers and reinstate the sacked chief prosecutor. They also plan an open-ended sit-in at the premises of their union in Cairo.
- Al Wafd Party, which is Egypt’s oldest liberal party.
