President Mohammed Morsi refused to step down Wednesday in the face of demands by the military and called on the military not to “take sides” even as the army chief of staff met with opposition figures and religious leaders to discuss its “road map” for dramatic political reform.
Morsi called instead for the formation of an interim coalition government, led by a prime minister approved by the major political parties.
In the last minute statement before an afternoon deadline imposed by the military, Morsi again rejected army intervention, saying abiding by his electoral legitimacy was the only way to prevent violence. He criticized the military for “taking only one side.”
“One mistake that cannot be accepted, and I say this as president of all Egyptians, is to take sides,” he said in the statement issued by his office. “Justice dictates that the voice of the masses from all squares should be heard.”
Morsi’s spokesman denied a report on Al Hayat local TV that Morsi had been placed under house arrest, but AFP reported that the security forces had placed a travel ban on Morsi and top Islamists.
The military had called on Morsi 48 hours ago to yield to the mass protests or step aside to defuse the political deadlock that had sent millions of protesters into the street.
As the deadline approached, crowds swelled Cairo’s Tahrir Square where, according to the state news agency MENA, police were handing out juice and water to anti-Morsi protesters.
State media reported that the “road map” would include a new interim leadership, installed by the military, and a suspension of the Islamist-backed constitution and the Islamist-dominated parliament.
The BBC reported that the army asked all but essential staff to leave the state TV building ahead of the deadline, which expired around 4:30 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. ET.).
At least 39 people have died since the protests began on Sunday. Many of the latest deaths occurred after gunfire erupted outside Cairo University in Giza, where pro-Morsi demonstrators gathered to show support for the president, who comes from the 85-year-old Muslim Brotherhood, the Associated Press reported.
The meeting between opposition groups and army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was announced by opposition spokesman Khaled Dwoud in a live telephone interview with state television.
It included Mohamed ElBaradei, Egypt’s leading democracy advocate, who represents the opposition National Salvation Front coalition and the youth groups leading anti-Morsi protesters. Also in attendance to discuss the proposed political “road map” were Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar mosque, and Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority.
Freedom and Justice party members say they refused an invitation to take part in the meeting.
Mohamed Abou El Ghar, president of the Egyptian Social Democratic party, tells USA TODAY that the opposition is demanding that Morsi must go, and that there should be a “civilian, temporary, honorary president, preferably from the higher constitutional court and a civilian prime minister with a small cabinet to run the country in the coming period.”
“The military and the police should only guard the borders and the security inside the country,” he said. “So, it should be clear in the minds of the West that this is not a coup. This is not a military coup.”
Moving forward, he added, the opposition does not want to isolate the Muslim Brotherhood. “We want the Muslim Brothers to share in the future elections and the future parliament,” he said.
As the deadline loomed, Morsi showed little interest in compromise, however, going on national TV Tuesday night to reject calls for his ouster.
A spokesman for Morsi, Ayman Ali, told Reuters that that president believes it is better “to die standing like a tree” than turn back history.
“It is better for a president, who would otherwise be returning Egypt to the days of dictatorship, from which God and the will of the people has saved us, to die standing like a tree,” Ali tells the news agency.”Rather than be condemned by history and future generations for throwing away the hopes of Egyptians for establishing a democratic life.”
In an emotional 46-minute speech, Morsi warned the military against removing him, saying such action will “backfire on its perpetrators.”
Morsi, who took office almost exactly one year ago, pledged to protect his “constitutional legitimacy” with his life.
He accused loyalists of his ousted autocratic predecessor Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple his regime and thwart democracy.
“There is no substitute for legitimacy,” said Morsi, who at times angrily raised his voice, thrust his fist in the air and pounded the podium. He warned that electoral and constitutional legitimacy “is the only guarantee against violence.”
Source: USA Today
