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CAIRO -- Egypt's main opposition coalition rejected on Sunday Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's plan for a constitutional referendum this week, saying it risked dragging the country into "violent confrontation."
Morsi's decision on Saturday to retract a decree awarding himself wide powers failed to placate opponents who accused him of plunging Egypt deeper into crisis by refusing to postpone the vote on a constitution shaped by Islamists.
"We are against this process from start to finish," Hussein Abdel Ghani, spokesman of the National Salvation Front, told a news conference, calling for more street protests on Tuesday.
The Front's main leaders - Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy - did not attend the event.
Hundreds of protesters milled around Morsi's palace, despite tanks, barbed wire and other barriers installed last week after clashes between Islamists and their rivals killed seven people.
"Holding a referendum now in the absence of security reflects haste and an absence of a sense of responsibility on the part of the regime, which risks pushing the country towards violent confrontation," a statement from the Front said.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled Morsi from obscurity to power, urged the opposition to accept the referendum's verdict.
Islamists say the vote will seal a democratic transition that began when a popular uprising toppled Hosni Mubarak 22 months ago after three decades of military-backed one-man rule.
Their liberal, leftist and Christian adversaries say the document being fast-tracked through could threaten freedoms and fails to embrace the diversity of Egypt's 83 million people.
'Act of war'
Morsi had given some ground on Saturday when he annulled the fiercely contested decree issued on Nov. 22 that gave him extra powers and shielded his decisions from judicial review.
But some measures taken under the decree remain in force and the president has insisted the referendum go ahead on Dec. 15.
Liberal opposition leader Ahmed Said earlier described the race to a referendum as an "act of war" against Egyptians.
Egypt is torn between Islamists, who were suppressed for decades, and their rivals, who fear religious conservatives want to squeeze out other voices and restrict social freedoms. Many Egyptians just crave stability and economic recovery.
Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said the scrapping of Morsi's decree had removed any reason for controversy.
"We ask others to announce their acceptance of the referendum result," he said on the group's Facebook page, asking whether the opposition would accept "the basics of democracy."
PhotoBlog: Protests continue despite Morsi's concessions
The cancellation of Morsi's decree, announced after a "national dialogue" on Saturday boycotted by almost all the president's critics, has not bridged a deep political divide.
Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, a technocrat with Islamist leanings, said the referendum was the best test of opinion.
"The people are the makers of the future as long as they have the freedom to resort to the ballot box in a democratic, free and fair vote," he said in a cabinet statement.
Egypt's journalists struggle under Mubarak-era laws
But opposition factions, uncertain of their ability to vote down the constitution against the Islamists' organizational muscle, want the document redrafted before any vote.
"A constitution without consensus can't go to a referendum," said Hermes Fawzi, 28, a protester outside the palace. "It's not logical that just one part of society makes the constitution."
Egypt tipped into turmoil after Morsi grabbed powers to stop any court action aimed at hindering the transition. An assembly led by the Brotherhood and other Islamists then swiftly approved the constitution it had spent six months drafting.
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Opponents, including minority Christians, had already quit the assembly in dismay, saying their voices were being ignored.
After the dialogue hosted by Morsi, a spokesman announced that the president had issued a new decree whose first article "cancels the constitutional declaration" of Nov. 22. He said the referendum could not be delayed for legal reasons.
The decree ignited more than two weeks of sometimes violent protests and counter-rallies in Egypt. Morsi's foes have chanted for his downfall. Islamists fear a plot to oust the most populous Arab nation's first freely-elected leader.
Islamists reckon they can win the referendum and, once the new constitution is in place, a parliamentary election about two months later. The Islamist-led lower house elected this year was dissolved after a few months by a court order.
The military, which led Egypt's transition for 16 turbulent months after Mubarak fell, told feuding factions on Saturday that only dialogue could avert "catastrophe." But a military source said these remarks did not herald an army takeover.
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I do not trust Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood which is pulling his strings. The MB is a well organized Islamist political machine. They will continually seek to take full control of Egypt without the apparent use of violence. They will use their surrogates like Hamas to carry out violent operations. Having won the presidency in front of the liberals and Christians, they advanced their objectives. Morsi's referendum would have sealed the deal. The protest by their adversaries is only a temporary setback. they will continue to push towards a Caliphate in Egypt. The Brotherhood will continue to seek methods to improve their standing in the world, like brokering the Israeli/Hamas cease fire. This gives them strength to go after the absolute power they desire.
Time for an "Egyptian Arab Spring II".
I wonder which side this administration will support this time.
Flip-flop.
Maybe the Secretary of the State or the U.N. Ambassador will go to Egypt to find a "peaceful resolution". Yeah, figure the odds.....Hillary is TOO tired and Rice would just use talking points.
The move by Morsi to cancel the sweeping powers he gave himself is pretty much meaningless at this point. The main purpose of the decree was to prevent the courts from dissolving the group writing the constitution. Now that the draft constitution is done and is going to a referendum Morsi does not really need the powers. Once the referendum passes, and it will pass the same way the Muslim Brotherhood made sure Morsi won the election, the powers will largely be returned. Under the constitution, all laws and judicial decisions will be subject to review by the Islamist clerics who are one the side of the MB. This means that free speech and freedom of religion will disappear in Egypt. If there were a fair vote the new constitution would go down, but there is no way the MB will allow that to happen. They can not take the risk of losing control and will do what they need to in order to maintain the control they now have. Of course even if by some miracle the referendum fails, the MB will just make sure that the new group elected to rewrite it will be dominated by the Islamists and the whole thing will start all over again until the MB gets a constitution with the controls and provisions they want to pass. At this point the only way the MB is going to give up control of Egypt is if the military turns on them and kicks them out. They have a stranglehold on Egypt and the elections processes so they will just continue to rig the elections to keep their control.
JS
Agreed. The military is the only chance Egypt has for a free country and I am not sure how FREE that really ends up. The liberals who started the Arab Spring and overthrew Mubarak had no idea that the MB was ready to take over. They were blindsided and they don't have nearly the ability to remove the MB that has been waiting for this for 75 years.
The truth is the military could take over, if the islamists get their "constitution". Then, like Turkey, it would take decades to get a moderate Islamic party to power in Egypt.
Roadkill
If ever, when you are talking about the Muslim Brotherhood.
HEY HEY HEY...I can actually COMMENT on this article...seems MSNBS is beginning to limit that on most others of late (anybody else noticed?)....usual pinching of anything that seems democratic.
This shows the true nature of the muslim brotherhood. One way or another they want sharia law to be the law of the land, regardless if everyone is an islamic or not.
This could lead to a bloodbath civil war, much like the syrian one.
I disagree partly.
Saudi Arabia's version of Sunni Islamist extremist Muslim Blood hounds will start their hating and killing once they get an upper hand. They will not be much different from their acts in other places all over the world.
"Liberal opposition leader Ahmed Said earlier described the race to a referendum as an "act of war" against Egyptians."
Sane Egyptians including females, Christians and moderate Muslims should join hands and kick out the most dangerous Morsi and his Muslim Blood hounds.
The US Jewish lobby should wake up right now and make sure that the US and allies don't give any economic aid or any other assistance to hating and killing Morsi and team. Do it right away.
JUST JOIN and KICK, KICK, KICK OUT, OUT, OUT Morsi and MS!
Please correct MS to MB.
Or we can take MS as Saudi varieties of Sunni MB and Salaffi. In Egypt, both hating and killing machines are active.
Better get your guns!
Acosmet
At least Said is not asleep at the wheel like the liberals who caused Mubarak's ouster and then let the MB take over. If the liberals and Christians are to prevail they have to beat the MB at it's own game, politics, and I can assure you that is a difficult task.
Could become a real bloodbath like Syria. They are somewhat overpopulated anyway. Their population is subsidized by US money coming in which they use to buy food. That food is then given out in a welfare like way, leading to larger families than would happen under normal circumstances. This has left a population dependent on food imports.
Sunni Islamists of Saudi variety are worse than beasts. They have become hating and killing machines.
They will go on inventing enemies and start their jihad once they get their feet.
"But some measures taken under the decree remain in force and the president has insisted the referendum go ahead on Dec. 15."
Sane Egyptians should not trust a word of what these Sunni Islamic religious Nazis say or do.
These Sunni Nazis will never keep a word, deal or pact as in the past.
Egyptian army should rebels and just eliminate that seventh century desert Sunni Islamic Morsi and all MBs.
If they want sanity in Egypt, they should wipe out the traces of MB.
This is why you can not vote on basic human rights; in those cases it just lets the majority oppress that minority. Morsi needs to start from square one, or accept that he is leading a tyranny with constant rebellion and no support from the US. The military will not support the Muslim Brotherhood under these circumstances.
@Steve, you are right. Basic human rights are just that, basic rights. Even when our founding fathers wrote our Constitution, they realized they had to spell out those certain rights with the first 10 Ammendments.
Mursi has absolutely no recollection of how the Mubarak reign ended, in bitter bloodshed with the Egyptian military taking power. If he continues his power grab, look for one more Egyptian dictator to learn that the military there is beholden to no leader of the sort, rather they're beholden to themselves first and the Egyptian people second.
This has the look and smell of something that's not going to end pretty.
It looks to me like the "Arab Spring" was used to catapult their country back into the dark ages. These people all have the islamic virus and as such cannot think in a logical manner. They thought they were going to get a real democracy by voting the muslime brotherhood into power? WTF? Brilliant! Now they have all of the freedom to do whatever the new dictator says they can do. I say it serves you right, you idiots. You have made your bed, now lay down on it and make sure you are face down for easy insertion of the islamic, democratic, staff of justice. Cigarette?
"Life is tough, it is even tougher when you are stupid." John Wayne
Do Muslim Brotherhood accept to take the risk of losing control of Egypt after 83 years of detention centers and prisons and whether retreating from what they need to do acts in order to maintain their control official on Egypt
. The actual realistic perception they would not accept whatever sacrifices, including victims of others, so in order to be realistic solutions to ensure proper governance wanted people to be that this provision is based on two things and also realistic
1 - that the draft constitution, which push it to achieve the consensus of the people must Alaigl this compatibility for 75% of the will of the people to say actually winning and so are the majority in the minority regarding the new constitution and the protection of rights and freedoms and to prevent a new dictatorship
- 2 - and include measures referendum free free from tampering and grab the voting process and ballot in elections Obtaqh card number or national electoral voice for women
The only way to give control to the Egyptian army on the voting process and the referendum to ensure the country's security and to prevent the continued rigging of the elections and the referendum clean under the supervision of the judiciary as a matter of national descent of her
New dictator has the upper hand, These folks voted him in. Now they need to prepare for the changes that are going to come about. It does not look promising. We will probably be seeing futher violence. Im glad I do not live there.
We will not stop Protesting all over the world until a Civil State is achieved. The Revolution was seized by the Islamists from the educated Egyptian Youth of fellow Muslim's & Christian's. Pro - Democratic Egyptian Muslim & Christian Youth are being stabbed and murdered by the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi Extremists in daily Protests.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi's were stripping pro-democratic protestors and beating them. Over 50 of them were also tied by rope to the back of cars and dragged along the streets of Cairo. One Pro-democratic protestor had his eye pulled out and another's ear was cut off. Even disabled protestors who were residing in tents were beaten by Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi's. The only way for families to take the bodies of these courageous hero's (pro-democratic protestors), were for their families to sign off on documents that the deceased were members of the muslim brotherhood. That way, the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt can show the western world, that they were victims of these attacks and not the pro-democratic protestors.
Every day, under-aged ed christian girls are being abducted, raped and forced to renounce christianity, before being married to members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi extremists, who are behind these 'a
Acts of Terror'!!! I ask, Why? Why?Why? 'Religion is not by force'. Leave everyone follow their religion of choice. Only God will Judge. The Extremists think they have the keys of Heaven and Hell.
Egypt is in shambles....Unemployment on the increase...Sexual Assult of Girls & Women on the increase....Attacks on Coptic Christians by Salafi & Muslim Brotherhood Extremists on the increase, leaving innocent citizens murdered and critically injured....Public Transport accidents on the increase....Theft & Murder on the increase....No Social Justice...No Equality..No Freedom...No Democracy...No Policing....
In other words, Morsi has further ruined the country....
Muslim and Christian alike dread Sharia Law!!!!
Morsi enforces Sharia Law in his new Draft Constitution. Currently our Dictator has more power than any other Leader in the World.
Sharia Law is a written document of oppression against mankind...
Basically, Sharia Law spells out the following:
1. Cutting of hand's and feet for crimes such as stealing
2. Stoning for women committing adultry
3. converts out of Islam sentenced to death
4. Public whipping for wearing non-islamic clothing
5. Beating of women accepted as disciplinary action
6. Pouring of acid on the faces of females & blinding of one eye for refusing marriage and so forth.
7. Cutting the ear of persons found guilty of adultry.
8. Public Hanging for murder.
These are certainly barbaric, inhumane & evil laws, which are against fundamental human rights.
Anyway, as 'One Hand', "United' Muslim and Christian's, we will continue to defend justice, equality and freedom for all egyptians.
We will never let the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt or Salafi's break the Unity of Christian & Muslim. Muslim and Christian will remain faithful and loyal to Egyptian soil until the end. God Bless Egypt. Amen.
Best wishes Michelle90.
EUROPEAN women need to start having more children per family. If you are a European woman reading this, only you can help save Europe and the West. HAVE MORE CHILDREN!
Go Egytptians! This guy betrayed you almost immediately becoming president. NOW you know his intentions and he isnt going to change! Go for democracy and throw him out!
Most people do not understand democracy. The only reason constitutions are needed, in every country, is the prevention of "the tyranny of the majority". The constitution up for vote in Egypt does not even come close.
In Egypt, the Sunni extremists with labels like Salaffi and MB (Muslim Blood hounds) are opening up new chapters of Islamic bigotry. Morsi is just a front for them.
Just watch the moderate and sane Muslims, fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Followers of Islamic cult, especially House of Saud and other Sunni ME rulers inspired and funded Sunni Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and other Sunni Arab League nations are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones.
Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.