Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood rejects fast-track transition plan
Source: Agencies |
July 10, 2013, Wednesday
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EGYPT'S Muslim Brotherhood yesterday rejected a timetable announced by the military-backed interim leadership that sets a fast track for amending the Islamist-drafted constitution and holding new parliamentary and presidential elections by early next year.
The quick issuing of the transition plan showed how Egypt's new leadership is shrugging off Islamists' vows to reverse the military's ousting of President Mohammed Morsi and wants to quickly entrench a post-Morsi political system.
Egypt's military also likely aims to show Western nations that the country is moving quickly back to an elected civilian leadership.
The United States has expressed concern over the removal of Egypt's first freely elected president, and if the US government determines that the army's move qualifies as a coup it would have to cut off more than a US$1 billion in aid to Egypt, mostly to the military. The Obama administration has said doing so would not be in US interests.
Egypt's political divide was further inflamed Monday by one of the worst single incidents of bloodshed in two and a half years of turmoil, when security forces killed more than 50 pro-Morsi protesters in clashes at a sit-in by Islamists. The military accused armed Islamists of sparking the fighting, but Morsi supporters said troop opened fire on them without provocation after dawn prayers.
An Egyptian security official said 650 people were arrested, most during Monday's violence, for allegedly trying to storm the Republican Guard headquarters. The military claims that is what sparked the violence.
The official said there were Syrian and Palestinian nationals among those arrested - an apparent attempt to portray the sit-in as including foreign militants.
Protesters and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood deny any attack took place, saying the troops descended on their sit-in outside the headquarters and started firing.
Back to zero
Islamists have talked of the military aiming to crush them after what they say was a coup to wreck democracy. Essam el-Erian, a senior Brotherhood figure and deputy head of its Freedom and Justice Party, rejected the transition timetable, saying it takes the country "back to zero."
"The cowards are not sleeping, but Egypt will not surrender. The people created their constitution with their votes," he wrote on his Facebook page, referring to the constitution that was passed in a national referendum during Morsi's year in office.
The constitution passed under Morsi - and suspended since his fall - was written by an assembly created by the first post-Mubarak parliament, elected in 2011-2012. But the panel was deeply controversial.
Reflecting the parliament, the constituent assembly had a strong Islamist majority. Most non-Islamists abandoned the assembly, complaining that the Brotherhood and its allies were imposing their will.
The quick issuing of the transition plan showed how Egypt's new leadership is shrugging off Islamists' vows to reverse the military's ousting of President Mohammed Morsi and wants to quickly entrench a post-Morsi political system.
Egypt's military also likely aims to show Western nations that the country is moving quickly back to an elected civilian leadership.
The United States has expressed concern over the removal of Egypt's first freely elected president, and if the US government determines that the army's move qualifies as a coup it would have to cut off more than a US$1 billion in aid to Egypt, mostly to the military. The Obama administration has said doing so would not be in US interests.
Egypt's political divide was further inflamed Monday by one of the worst single incidents of bloodshed in two and a half years of turmoil, when security forces killed more than 50 pro-Morsi protesters in clashes at a sit-in by Islamists. The military accused armed Islamists of sparking the fighting, but Morsi supporters said troop opened fire on them without provocation after dawn prayers.
An Egyptian security official said 650 people were arrested, most during Monday's violence, for allegedly trying to storm the Republican Guard headquarters. The military claims that is what sparked the violence.
The official said there were Syrian and Palestinian nationals among those arrested - an apparent attempt to portray the sit-in as including foreign militants.
Protesters and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood deny any attack took place, saying the troops descended on their sit-in outside the headquarters and started firing.
Back to zero
Islamists have talked of the military aiming to crush them after what they say was a coup to wreck democracy. Essam el-Erian, a senior Brotherhood figure and deputy head of its Freedom and Justice Party, rejected the transition timetable, saying it takes the country "back to zero."
"The cowards are not sleeping, but Egypt will not surrender. The people created their constitution with their votes," he wrote on his Facebook page, referring to the constitution that was passed in a national referendum during Morsi's year in office.
The constitution passed under Morsi - and suspended since his fall - was written by an assembly created by the first post-Mubarak parliament, elected in 2011-2012. But the panel was deeply controversial.
Reflecting the parliament, the constituent assembly had a strong Islamist majority. Most non-Islamists abandoned the assembly, complaining that the Brotherhood and its allies were imposing their will.
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