Egyptian political groups have given the ruling generals until Wednesday to withdraw a constitutional proposal that shields the army from oversight in parliament.
The political groups have said that they would otherwise hold an anti-military protest on Friday.
Islamist and liberal parties - including the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party - have said that the army would still have special status but only in relation to issues of national security.
Earlier this month, the cabinet proposed a document of guiding principles for a new constitution that gave the military exclusive authority to approve any legislation on its internal affairs, potentially allowing it to defy an elected government.
