CAIRO: Egyptian activists, frustrated at the pace of democratic change, have called for nationwide protests dubbed “the second revolution” on Friday but the country's Islamists have vowed to stay away. The activists want the acceleration of trials of former regime figures and their removal from top jobs in police, universities and other public institutions. Protesters are also calling for a return of security forces to the streets, amid weeks of insecurity and sectarian clashes blamed on remnants of the old regime. But the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's largest and most organized opposition movement said it was “very concerned” by the call for protest. For weeks many activists have expressed frustration at the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which took power when Mubarak was ousted, for its handling of the transitional phase. Meanwhile a Cairo criminal court Thursday sentenced Egypt's former housing minister Ahmed Al-Maghrabi to five years in prison on corruption charges, according to a judicial source.
