Muslim Brotherhood Demands Military Cede Power CAIRO - The Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday demanded that Egypt's military rulers cede control of the government, stepping closer to a long-anticipated confrontation between the ruling generals and the Islamist-dominated parliament. In a statement on its Web site and a television interview with one of its senior leaders, the Brotherhood called for the military to allow the replacement of the current prime minister and cabinet with a new coalition government formed by the parliament. That would amount to an immediate handover of power to civilians - the signature demand of street protesters but one the Brotherhood had previously rejected. The Brotherhood, the formerly outlawed Islamist group that dominates the new parliament, had previously said it was content to wait for the generals who seized power with the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak to turn over power by a June deadline. And signs were accumulating of a general accord between the group and the military over the outlines of a new constitution expected to be ratified before the handover. The seemingly abrupt shift comes just ahead of the Feb. 11 anniversary of Mr. Mubarak's downfall, when other activists around the country have called for a general strike to demand a swift end of military rule. The change also comes at a time when the military-controlled government has appeared overwhelmed by a convergence of domestic and foreign crises, including a deadly soccer riot, days of violent protests, a standoff with Washington that has imperiled billions in badly needed aid and an economy teetering on the brink of collapse. "We must start the formation of a coalition government immediately, to deal in particular with the economic situation and the state of lawlessness in this homeland," Khairat el Shater, deputy to the Brotherhood's Supreme Guide and one of its most influential figures, said. Mr. Shater pointed in particular to the government's repeated use of deadly force against protesters demanding that the council immediately turn over power to civilians. "Dealing with the demonstrators violently is a mistake, a sign of weakness and mismanagement by the Ministry of Interior," he said. In the acutely polarized dynamics of Egypt's nascent democracy, liberal party leaders who have called for months for an immediate turnover of power to civilians said Thursday that they were unwilling to form a coalition with the Islamists. "There is no difference between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military council, they have a deal to work together," said Emad Gad, a leader of the liberal Social Democratic Party. The liberals would prefer to be in opposition to monitor and leave it to the Brotherhood to implement their control. In the flush of their victories in the early rounds of the parliamentary elections, leaders of the Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party initially said they intended to challenge the generals over control of the cabinet. But they later retreated, saying they were willing to wait for the promised handover of power by the end of June. Since then, Egypt's current military led government has appeared increasingly stymied by simultaneous crises at home and abroad. The ruling generals have appeared unwilling or unable to resolve the dispute with Washington over criminal charges filed against 16 Americans - including the son of a cabinet official - in a politically charged case over foreign funding of nonprofit groups, even after President Obama and Congressional leaders threatened to cancel Egypt's $1.5 billion in annual American aid. The original number of Americans was given as 19, but United States officials now say they have discovered that three of the people on that list are not American citizens. The spat has also threatened Egypt's ability to obtain billions of dollars in other international assistance and loans at a moment when the money is desperately needed to prevent the economy from toppling further toward collapse. Domestically, the government's failure to prevent a recent soccer riot that left more than 70 dead sparked five days of violent protests in cities around the country. Thousands attempted to storm the headquarters of the Interior ministry in Cairo and Suez, and the heavy-handed response of the police - with tear gas, birdshot and rubber bullets and, in Suez, live ammunition - killed at least 15 more people. Replacing the current prime minister and cabinet with a new one chosen by the parliament would provide a chance to break the standoff over the trial of the Americans as well as to attempt to restore some credibility to the police.