EGYPT: Supporters of President-elect Mohamed Mursi remain camped out in Tahrir Square

Record ID: 831001

  • Title: EGYPT: Supporters of President-elect Mohamed Mursi remain camped out in Tahrir Square
  • Date: 26th June 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MAN READING NEWSPAPER
  • Embargoed: 11th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAFLAPA3VG1AAS4YPC3C3ZIG5W
  • Story Text: Demonstrators were camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday (June 25) morning after a late night of celebrations. Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood was declared the narrow winner of last weekend's presidential run-off against Ahmed Shafik, a scion of the military establishment which has ruled Egypt for 60 years.
    The celebrations continued through the night after Morsy won by 3.5 percentage points or some 880,000 votes.
    Mursi was expected to set about building a civilian administration for Egypt on Monday that can heal a divisive history of oppression and coax a mistrustful army into relaxing its grip on power.
    A man in the square said demonstrators would not leave until parliament is reinstated and the supplementary constitutional decree cancelled.
    "The parliament that was voted for by 30 million civilians used to pass laws that were then kept in drawers and weren't implemented. The reason for this is that the military council had to agree to these laws. Now, Morsy will come handcuffed without any real powers so the people could revolt against him and he'll only last for a few months. The reason for this is that all the laws are in the hands of the military council, because after the dissolution of parliament, they have legislative authority once more," Essam Nassar said.
    Another man said the emergency law was more lenient than martial law which gives the military the power to arrest civilians.
    "Martial law is considered much worse than the emergency law and is contemptuous of the will of the people. Dr. Mohamed Mursi must have full powers."
    Senior Brotherhood officials say they have been negotiating in the past week to change some of that. Though both sides deny that any deal was struck over the result of the presidential vote itself, Mursi s election now sets a key reference point around which a power-sharing compromise can be built while the process of constructing a constitutional democracy goes on.
    Brotherhood sources told Reuters they hoped the army might allow a partial recall of parliament and other concessions in return for Morsy exercising his powers to name a government and presidential administration in ways the army approves of - notably by extending appointments across the political spectrum.
    Military officials have confirmed discussions in the past few days but had no immediate comment on the latest talks.
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