Morsi leans on Egypt's army for security ahead of key vote
Source: Agencies |
December 11, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Egyptian military yesterday assumed joint responsibility with the police for security and protecting state institutions until the results of a December 15 constitutional referendum are announced.
The army took up the task in line with a decree issued on Sunday by President Mohammed Morsi. The Islamist leader yesterday also suspended a series of tax hikes announced the previous day on alcohol, cigarettes and other items.
The presidential edict orders the military and police to jointly maintain security in the run-up to Saturday's vote on the disputed charter, which was hurriedly approved last month by a panel dominated by the president's Islamist allies despite a boycott of the committee's liberal, secular and Christian members.
The decree also grants the military the right to arrest civilians, but presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said it was nowhere near a declaration of martial law. "It is merely a measure to extend legal cover for the armed forces while they are used to maintain security."
There were no signs of a beefed up military presence outside the presidential palace, the site of fierce street clashes last week, or elsewhere in the capital Cairo yesterday.
Still, Morsi's decision to lean on the military to safeguard the vote is widely seen as evidence of just how jittery the government is about the referendum on the draft constitution, which has been at the heart of days of dueling protests by the opposition and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood backers. The two sides clashed in Cairo last week, leaving at least six people dead and hundreds wounded.
Both the opposition and Morsi's supporters have called for mass rallies today.
The opposition has rejected the referendum, but has yet to call for a boycott or instead a "no" vote at the polls.
Morsi's deputy, Mahmoud Mekki, has said the vote could be staggered over several days if there were not enough judges to oversee the referendum.
The army took up the task in line with a decree issued on Sunday by President Mohammed Morsi. The Islamist leader yesterday also suspended a series of tax hikes announced the previous day on alcohol, cigarettes and other items.
The presidential edict orders the military and police to jointly maintain security in the run-up to Saturday's vote on the disputed charter, which was hurriedly approved last month by a panel dominated by the president's Islamist allies despite a boycott of the committee's liberal, secular and Christian members.
The decree also grants the military the right to arrest civilians, but presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said it was nowhere near a declaration of martial law. "It is merely a measure to extend legal cover for the armed forces while they are used to maintain security."
There were no signs of a beefed up military presence outside the presidential palace, the site of fierce street clashes last week, or elsewhere in the capital Cairo yesterday.
Still, Morsi's decision to lean on the military to safeguard the vote is widely seen as evidence of just how jittery the government is about the referendum on the draft constitution, which has been at the heart of days of dueling protests by the opposition and Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood backers. The two sides clashed in Cairo last week, leaving at least six people dead and hundreds wounded.
Both the opposition and Morsi's supporters have called for mass rallies today.
The opposition has rejected the referendum, but has yet to call for a boycott or instead a "no" vote at the polls.
Morsi's deputy, Mahmoud Mekki, has said the vote could be staggered over several days if there were not enough judges to oversee the referendum.
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