This is the text of the statement Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces issued Sunday. It was translated from the Arabic by McClatchy special correspondent Miret El Naggar.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is aware that the challenge confronting our precious nation is to achieve progress, by unleashing all the creative energy in our great people. That will come through creating an atmosphere of freedom and democracy, through constitutional and legislative amendments that achieve the people's legitimate demands which they have declared these past days.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces strongly believes that freedom and the rule of law, supporting values of equality, democracy. social justice and uprooting corruption are the basis of any ruling system in the world.

In its 5th communique the supreme military council has decided on the following:

1.) suspending the constitution

2.) running the country's affairs for six months or until parliamentary and presidential elections are held

3.) the head of the supreme council will represent the council locally and abroad

4.) dissolution of both houses of parliament, the upper Shura Council and the People's Assembly

5.) the supreme council can issue decrees of laws during the transitional phase.

6.) the formation of a committee to amend clauses of the constitution and setting regulations to present them to the people in a referendum

7.) tasking the cabinet headed by Ahmed Shafiq to continue its work until a new cabinet is formed

8.) holding parliamentary and presidential elections

9.) the state commits to international treaties of which it is a signatory.