Egyptians again pack square

CAIRO - Egypt's Islamist and secular forces sought to relaunch the street uprising against the ruling military Friday, packing Cairo's Tahrir Square with tens of thousands of protesters in the biggest rally in months and accusing the generals of manipulating the forthcoming presidential elections to preserve their power.

But attempts by protest organizers to form a united front against the military were blocked by competing agendas. The protest was riven by distrust and resentments that have grown between Islamists and liberals during the rocky, military-run transition process since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago.

Liberals and leftists accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of abandoning the "revolution" months ago and allying with the military in hopes of securing power. In Friday's rally, many said the Brotherhood was only turning to the streets after the generals proved more powerful in decision-making even after an Islamist-dominated parliament was elected. The liberal groups warned that the Brotherhood could accommodate the military again for a chance to govern.

"The Brotherhood are here for the throne, that's all. We tried them before, and they rode the revolution and the blood of martyrs," said Mohammed Abu-Lazeed, an accountant who took part in a march to Tahrir led by communists and socialists.

The Brotherhood said it was protesting to preserve the revolution.

The elections set to begin May 23 were intended to be a landmark in Egypt's transition: the first free choosing of a president after decades of authoritarian rule. After the president is installed, the military is to hand over power by the end of June.

Instead, political chaos in the lead-up to the vote has fueled fears that the military aims to push a candidate it favors into the presidency to ensure its continued influence and block dramatic reform. This week, the election commission disqualified 10 candidates, including the top three contenders. The move enraged Islamists because among those excluded were the Brotherhood's nominee and a favorite of ultraconservatives known as Salafis.

"Down with military rule," chanted the protesters. Banners by all factions draped around the sprawling downtown plaza demanded that candidates seen as "feloul," or "remnants" from Mubarak's regime be barred from the race - particularly former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, a front-runner after the disqualifications. Tens of thousands more demonstrated in other cities.

Liberals and youth activists who led last year's anti-Mubarak uprising urged the Brotherhood and other Islamists to agree with them on a single candidate for president who would pursue a "revolutionary" agenda of reform and confront the military.

The Brotherhood, however, refused to step aside in favor of a consensus figure. Though its initial candidate Khairat el-Shater was disqualified, the Brotherhood has a backup nominee in the race, party leader Mohammed Morsi.

To liberals, its insistence on running fuels the perception that it seeks to monopolize power. And many on the secular side are embittered by events of the last year, when they held antimilitary protests only to have the Brotherhood oppose their street action.

The majority in Tahrir appeared to be Islamists, though the leftist and liberal camps made their strongest showing in months.