The National Association for Change has launched an initiative to form a political group that it says would believe in a civil state fortified against the political dominance of the military institution and people who use religion for personal gain.

The association said the establishment of this group, the National Democratic Revolutionary Current, was the top priority to complete the 25 January revolution and honor its martyrs.

The association, founded two years ago by longtime reform advocate Mohamed ElBaradei, issued a statement rejecting the supplement to the Constitutional Declaration issued Sunday by the ruling military council.

It also rejected the Justice Ministry decree allowing military forces to investigate and detain civilians.

The association described the two decisions as an attempt by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take over power and prolong the transitional period, calling it a blatant threat to the civil state and the revolution’s achievements.

It held the military council for what it described as a “serious impasse” in Egyptian politics by having imposed elections before the constitution was written.

The association expressed its satisfaction with the initial results for the presidential election, which it said indicate that the people do not want to reproduce Hosni Mubarak’s regime. It also warned against political Islamists’ continued domination of policy.

It called on revolutionary groups to stand by to ensure the continuation of the revolution, whether against members of the former regime, attempts by those acting in the name of religion to dominate the state by dismantling civil foundations or attempts to militarize power by turning the SCAF into a fourth branch of power.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm