The Egyptian presidency announced on Tuesday that it would launch a reconciliation initiative dubbed ‘One Nation’ in the coming week, aimed at bridging the divide in Egyptian politics after former president Mohamed Morsi’s ouster last week.
“The presidency invites everyone to participate in an overarching initiative whereby a humanitarian basis for coexistence shall be set,” the presidency declared.
Political polarisation deepened during Morsi’s one year in office, leading millions to take to the streets on 30 June to call for early presidential elections. The army quickly intervened and deposed the beleaguered president.
The Muslim Brotherhood – the group which fielded Morsi in last year’s presidential elections – immediately called the intervention a ‘coup’ against what it insists is a democratically elected president.
Supporters of Morsi’s removal, for their part, insist the move fulfilled a popular demand.
The divide deepened further when the army opened fire on a pro-Morsi sit-in at Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo early Monday, killing over 50 protesters. The army claims it was attacked by “armed groups.”
The presidency on Tuesday said it would unveil the framework for its ‘One Nation’ initiative and intends to meet with political forces in the coming week to set a plan aimed at “avoiding bloodshed.”
Since Morsi’s ouster, numerous clashes between supporters of the deposed president and his opponents have taken place nationwide, leading to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
In Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which has been suffering from a security vacuum since the January 2011 revolution, a new wave of attacks on security checkpoints and buildings by alleged Islamist militants have been reported, leading to several deaths among security personnel.
The Egyptian military issued a statement on Tuesday saying it was aware of the dangers of the upcoming period and stressing its certainty that all political currents wanted Egypt to get through this “difficult transition period.”
New interim president Adly Mansour has issued a constitutional declaration outlining a roadmap for Egypt’s political future, which includes amendments to Egypt’s 2012 constitution and plans for parliamentary and presidential elections within six months.
The military’s statement warned against attempts to obstruct the political process laid out in the new roadmap using non-peaceful methods.
Source : Ahram
