Egypt Crisis Morsi to appoint new PM six minister resigns

Posted on July 3, 2013 by sagarmedia

Muslim Brotherhood had asked Prime Minister Hesham Qandil and  ministers belonging to the Islamist group to quit in order to give President Mohamed Morsy a chance to negotiate with opposition groups demanding his removal, sources close to the Brotherhood have revealed. Sources said the Brotherhood made the request in order for the president to agree with the opposition on a new premier before the Wednesday evening deadline set by the armed forces to accomplish political consensus between the regime and the opposition

Media Sources said the army intended to install an interim council, composed mainly of civilians from different political groups as well as experienced technocrats to run Egypt until an amended constitution was drafted. This would be followed by a new presidential election, which would be delayed until strict conditions for selecting candidates were enforced.

Military sources  said that troops were preparing to deploy on the streets of Cairo and other cities to prevent clashes between rival political factions.

The roadmap itself was announced by the head of Egypt’s armed forces, Chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, back on Monday after a crisis between President Mohamed Morsi and the liberal opposition brought millions out onto the streets in protests.

El-Sisi announced that the army was giving politicians 48 hours to answer the demands of the Egyptian people and end the violent stand off on the streets or the military would put into action its own “road map for the future”.

 The political wing of the ruling Brotherhood the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has called on supporters to take to the streets to resist any move by the army to stage a coup.

As people occupied Tahir Square for a third day Bel Trew, RT’s correspondent in Cairo says the scenes are jubilant and defiant as the deadline for Morsi to meet their demands draws closer.

Morsi, along with the Egyptian prime minister, met with the head of the armed forces for a second day on Tuesday, the president’s office said in a statement. No details of the meeting were given. MENA reported that millions have staged demonstrations against President Mohamed Morsi’s government since Sunday. Prior to Amr’s resignation, the other four ministers had stated that their move came as an act of “solidarity with the people’s demand to overthrow the regime.”

Mourad Ali, a spokesman for the ruling Muslim Brotherhood party, said the government has rejected a 48-hour deadline imposed by Egypt’s army, during which time Morsi’s government is intended to reconcile with protesters and end widescale public unrest. According to a report by AlHayat TV, Ali said that the armed forces has no right to set ultimatums for the country’s government. Egyptian foreign minister Kamel Amr became the sixth minister to tender his resignation from the Morsi government on Monday. Amr follows the ministers for tourism, environment, communications and legal affairs and water utilities

Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi holding a meeting on national security in Cairo

The ultimatum calls on the Morsi government to “meet the demands of the people” by Wednesday evening or face the military’s intervention in restoring order. The statement, which was broadcast nationwide on radio and television media, the military referred to its deadline as “a final chance to shoulder the burden of a historic moment in our country.”

Tourism minister Hisham Zazou had first offered his resignation only last month, following the appointment of Adel al-Khayat, a member of an islamist party, as governor of Luxor. That particular group has been linked to the murder of tourists in that city. Khayat later resigned his position.

Zazou, along with Communications and IT Minister Atef Helmi, Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hatem Bagato, Environment Minister Khaled Abdel-Aal and Water Minister Abdel Qawy Khalifa together submitted their letters of resignation to Prime Minister Hisham Qandil.

Egypt’s interior ministry estimated the number of protesters on Sunday to be between 14 and 17 million. The mass rallies were the culmination of frustrations over what those at the demos said was Morsi’s failure to tackle a serious economic situation as well as continuing security problems since assuming office a year ago.

In Cairo the official building of the Muslim Brotherhood was set ablaze just after crowds had stormed and looted the building. The interior ministry said that eight people had been killed in the violence on Sunday.