Egypt opposition party calls for interim government

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt needs a period of transitional rule, new parliamentary elections and amendments to the constitution so a president can stand for only two six-year terms, the head of the opposition Wafd party said on Friday.

His comments, made in a televised statement, follow a day of violent protest calling for an end to the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, 82, in power for five consecutive six-year terms. The army has been deployed in Cairo and other cities.

Wafd, a decades old liberal, nationalist party, boycotted the parliamentary election in November saying the vote was rigged in favor of Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party.

"It is time for forming a transitional government ... (and) conducting a new parliamentary election," the head of Wafd, Sayyid al-Badawi, said in the statement.

"It is time to change the constitution to change the presidency term to six years, to be renewed only one time," he said, adding that the party rejected foreign interference.

Parliament is overwhelmingly dominated by the ruling party. In the last parliament, Wafd held the second biggest opposition bloc of seats behind the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood, which runs candidates as independents to skirt a ban on its political activities, also boycotted the last vote. The government insisted the vote was free and fair. Rights groups and other observers cited widespread abuses.

(Writing by Edmund Blair; editing by Myra MacDonald)