Thousands of protesters erupted into cheers after Egypt’s military leaders warned that they would intervene if the president failed to resolve a political crisis within 48 hours.
The military threat set the stage for a coup a day after millions of Egyptians thronged the country’s streets demanding the president’s resignation.
The statement came hours after eight people were killed in Cairo as rioters ransacked the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is President Mohammed Morsi’s power base. Protesters also regrouped yesterday in the capital’s central Tahrir Square and in front of the president’s Ittihadiya Palace for a second day of demonstrations, which appeared to be some of the largest in Egypt’s history
The headquarters of another political party, Al Wasat, was also showed being torched, allegedly by anti-government protesters.
“If the people’s demands are not met, the military, which is forced to act according to its role and duty, will have to disclose its own future plan,” said Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Egypt’s defence minister and the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in a televised address. “These steps will include discussions among all political powers, specifically the youth, who were and continue to be the spark of the revolution. No one party will be excluded or marginalised.”
Gen. Al Sisi didn’t say what kind of “solution” it expected Mr. Morsi to provide or say what he planned by way of an “intervention.” But the general cautioned that the military wouldn’t become politically involved as it did in February 2011, when it assumed power after the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak.
Gen. Al Sisi said the armed forces would continue to “supervise the situation” and “support the people.” Minutes after his speech ended, five military helicopters carrying large banners representing each branch of the armed forces flew over the protests, eliciting another round of ecstatic cheers.
The ultimatum ratcheted up pressure on Egypt’s first elected president, one year after he assumed power in elections that the military itself organised.
The presidency remained quiet in the hours following the statement. But members of the political opposition—many of whom had said they didn’t welcome military intervention—rejected negotiations and greeted the decision as a sign that the military intended to oversee the president’s departure.
“When you praise the demands of the people and then declare 48 hours, I think that the message is clear,” said Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the National Salvation Front, an umbrella group that helped lead Sunday’s protests. “I hope that the Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t mess it up.”
“There is no reconciliation with a president who faced opposition and demands for his resignation by over 20 million people,” Mr. Dawoud said, offering his own estimate for the size of Sunday’s protests.
“If Morsi wants to talk to us as an Egyptian citizen, we are open for any discussions,” said Mahmoud Badr, a spokesman for Tamarod. “But if he thinks he can talk to us as an official, then we would like to confirm that he has lost any legitimacy he might have had.”
Like Mr. Morsi’s year-long rule, the military’s 16-month stint in power after Mr. Mubarak stepped down in February 2011 saw frequent, often violent protests and economic decline.
Also yesterday, 11 ministers submitted their resignations as protesters continued to demand the removal of the government. But President Morsi and Prime Minister Hisham Kandil refused to accept their resignations.
“A stable and secure Egypt is crucial for regional stability and security,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday through a spokesman. “The world is watching Egypt and what Egypt does with its transition will have a significant impact on other transition countries in the region.”
Source: The Nation
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