Egypt

Egypt to vote in new parliament by February

RT,

8 July, 2013

Egypt is to vote on a new parliament in six months, after amendments to the constitution are approved in a referendum. This is outlined in interim leader Adly Mansour’s new decree.

The decree has allowed a four-and-a-half month period for any amendments to the former constitution, which was suspended after the overthrow of the country’s former president Mohammed Morsi, following widespread protests against his regime.

A presidential election is to be held within a week of the new legislative chamber’s first meeting.

The text of Mansour’s decree states that a panel for the review of the new constitution must be formed within 15 days.

In the run-up to parliamentary elections, the document also gives the interim president powers to issue new laws after consulting with the new government, which is to be formed soon.

Egypt braced for more violence after 'massacre' of Morsi supporters

Muslim Brotherhood condemns killings in Cairo, which came hours before interim president set out election timetable

Muslim Brotherhood members sit in front of soldiers blocking the road to the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo. Photograph: Khaled Elfiqi/EPA

the Guardian,

8 July, 2013

Egyptians are braced for new violence after at least 51 supporters of the deposed president Mohamed Morsi were killed by security forces in what the Muslim Brotherhood condemned as a massacre, but the military insisted was the result of an armed attack on a Cairo barracks.

Hours after the country's single bloodiest incident in over a year, interim president Adly Mansour set out a timetable for amending the constitution, and for parliamentary and presidential elections for early 2014. Under the constitutional declaration by Mansour late on Monday, he would create two appointed committees to work out amendments to the Islamist-drafted constitution passed under Morsi.

A referendum on the new document would be held within four months. Elections for a new parliament would be held within two months after that, around mid-February. Once the new parliament convenes, it would have a week to set new presidential elections.

Monday's incident took place outside a Republican Guard officers' club where Morsi is rumoured to be in detention. The Brotherhood said its people were attacked during morning prayers, but the army said an attempt had been made by "a terrorist group" to storm the heavily guarded building. Emergency services confirmed 435 people were injured.

Egypt's interim presidency announced a judicial investigation into the killings, but that did not appease angry crowds, who were still massing as night fell at the nearby Rabaa al-Adwiya mosque, a focal point for pro-Morsi protests. The US said it was "deeply concerned" and called on Egypt's military to "exercise maximum restraint".

Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, head of the al-Azhar mosque and the country's senior Muslim cleric, warned of the danger of "civil war" and said he was going into seclusion until violence ended and reconciliation began.

Injured victims described how shooting began hours after hundreds of thousands of people attended rival rallies for and against Morsi across the country. The deaths blocked attempts to form a new civilian-led transitional government and fuelled already high tensions on the eve of the Ramadan holiday.

"There were dawn prayers and then I heard someone calling for help," Mohamed Saber el-Sebaei told the Guardian. "Just before we finished, the shooting started. The army units that were standing in front of the Republican Guard headquarters first started shooting teargas, then live ammunition above people's heads.

"People started to fall back and then an armoured vehicle came round the right-hand side escorted by a group of soldiers with their rifles shooting directly into the people. I was taking cover … behind some rubble and I felt something hit my head."

Initial claims that there were women and children among the dead were not confirmed. But a doctor running a field hospital called the three hours he had spent treating casualties some of the worst he had experienced in his life.

The army said an "armed terrorist group" had tried to break into the compound and had attacked security forces. Two policemen and an army officer died and 40 soldiers were injured, including seven who were in critical condition. The army said it had arrested at least 200 people with "large quantities of firearms, ammunition and Molotov cocktails".

But many unanswered questions remained. Protesters could not agree whether the security forces fired first with teargas or live ammunition. Some were later filmed holding firearms.

The army's narrative was contradicted by testimony from residents who said that at least 100 protesters, including children, fled to a nearby tower block – implying that not all of them were involved in an attack.

Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch tweeted: "Regardless of what started [the] violence … [the] military and police have responsibility to exercise restraint and not use excessive and lethal force."

Morsi, narrowly elected a year ago, was deposed by the Egyptian military last Wednesday after mass protests led by the Tamarod (Rebellion) movement. Mansour, the head of the high constitutional court, replaced him as interim president. Morsi supporters condemned this as a military coup. Opponents portray it as a continuation of the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

In immediate political fallout, the conservative Salafi Noor party withdrew from already faltering talks on a transitional government. "We wanted to avoid bloodshed, but now blood has been spilled. We will end all negotiations with the new authorities," it said. Political sources told the Guardian that Mohamed ElBaradei or Ziad Baha al-Din were likely to be named interim prime minister.

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a moderate Islamist who left the Brotherhood last year, called on Mansour to step down and told al-Jazeera TV the incident was "a horrible crime against humanity and all Egyptians".

The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party (FJP) said it was calling "on the great Egyptian people to rise up against those who want to steal their revolution with tanks and armoured vehicles, even over the dead bodies of the people". But a spokesman clarified later that the appeal was for a "peaceful uprising". Jihadi groups in Sinai threatened "severe retaliation".

Saad Amara, a senior FJP figure, said the killings were like Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and carried out by "armed criminals".

Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential candidate and leftist opposition leader, said the only beneficiaries were the Muslim Brotherhood and others who sought to polarise the situation and drive Egypt into civil war.

The US has been trying to defuse the crisis by brokering an agreement between the Brotherhood and the military, but Egyptian analysts and politicians say there is now no chance that Morsi will be restored or that the defence minister, General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, will resign, as the Islamists are demanding.

British foreign secretary William Hague said in a statement: "It is crucial that there is a swift return to democratic processes in Egypt. All sides of the political spectrum should work together for the sake of the country's political and economic future."

Al-Jazeera journalists kicked out of Egyptian military press-conference

The journalists for pan-Arab broadcaster, Al-Jazeera, were booed out of a news conference on Monday morning being held by Egypt's military on the killing of 54 people, mainly of ousted president Mohammed Morsi supporters.

RT,

8 July, 2013

During the news conference in Cairo, one of the journalists stood up and demanded Al-Jazeera reporters to be banished from the event, AP reports.

The call was supported by the crowd and the employees of the Doha-based channel were eventually forced to leave the conference room, accompanied by chants of “Out! Out!”

Al-Jazeera was founded by Qatar’s ruling family, which were strong supporters of deposed Egyptian President, Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, who were toppled by the country’s military on Wednesday.

The station broadcast graphic images of those killed and wounded in the violence at Republican Guard’s headquarters on July 8.

Al-Jazeera’s stance already saw its Cairo office stormed on two occasions, during less than a week that military has been in power.

Three members of the broadcaster’s staff were arrested during the raids, which were widely criticized by human right organizations.

All the detained were later released, including journalist Abdul-Fattah Fayed, who was set free on Monday after spending two days in custody.

The Public Prosecution ruled to release Fayed on a bail of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (£1,000). He was investigated over charges of spoiling the public mood, endangering the safety of society and provocation.

Al-Jazeera staff quit in protest at “biased” Egypt coverage – report

Meanwhile, the “biased coverage” of events in Egypt is allegedly causing serious discontent among the company’s staff as Gulf News reports that 22 employees of Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr news channel resigned on Monday.

“The management in Doha provokes sedition among the Egyptian people and has an agenda against Egypt and other Arab countries,” anchor Karem Mahmoud explained.

He said that the management used to instruct each staff member to favor the Muslim Brotherhood, adding “there are instructions to us to telecast certain news”.

Another of those who quit, correspondent Wessam Fadel, told Gulf News that when the protesters celebrated Morsi’s ousting in Cairo, Al-Jazeera aired old footage showing an empty Tahrir Square, claiming it was current.

“Unfortunately, I was working in a place which I thought had credibility, but its credibility is based on a despicable political position,” he said.

The network’s correspondent in Luxor, Haggag Salama, announced his resignation in phone-in interview with local Dream 2 channel on Sunday, saying Al-Jazeera is “airing lies and misleading viewers”.

Gulf News also reports four Egyptian members of the editorial staff at Al-Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha, have resigned in protest against what they called a “biased editorial policy” pertaining to the events in Egypt.

Tell it like it is

This quote via CNN International site regarding Egypt (via Facebook)

"I'm Egyptian... I live in Cairo. I'm watching your LIVE coverage of my country, and all I can say is S.H.A.M.E. on you for being so biased and ignorant, and for trying by your subjective, lopsided coverage to brainwash your viewers and distort facts.

First of all, what happened in Egypt earlier is by no means a military coup as you call it. The military's intervention was very welcome and came only as a response of what the masses desired.

And Morsi was NOT a democratically elected president: there was massive rigging... many poors' votes were purchased with little money or in-kind trivialities... and mosque leaders poisoned many people's decisions by convincing them that whoever wouldn't vote for Morsi will end up in hell! Now how democratic is this, taking advantage of people's poverty and ignorance???

I personally had a short chat with Morsi last September when he came to the UN General Assembly, and I instantly felt embarrassed to be Egyptian and thus be associated with such a retard.

Rather than focusing on the tiny unknown square where the minuscule Morsi support base is gathered, how about taking your cameras to the famous Tahrir Square or to any other Egyptian neighborhood?

I'm listening to Wolf Blitzer and am outraged by him and by CNN for spreading such blatant lies and distorting the crystal clear truth.

The overwhelming majority of Egyptians today are in a state of euphoria because a dictator was ousted: a dictator who in one year has (along with his gang) caused the country indelible damage and has been trying systematically to destroy its economy, chase away tourists, assign former terrorists to leadership positions, discriminate against women and minorities, arrest journalists, justify harassment against us women, undermine the country's culture and art (e.g. attempting to ban ballet for being a "nude art"), instill sectarian sedition between its people, cause a massive brain-drain... an exodus of skills out of the country, deprive Egyptians of the bare essentials of a decent live, including water, electricity and fuel, etc. etc.

How about taking a peek at social media to see how delighted everyone is and how people are congratulating each other for the end of a dark era?

If there's no mention of all this, then that ill-intentioned Blitzer and the rest of his crowd should go find themselves another job and should be branded liars! Shame on you all indeed!"