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Transition plan opposition

July 10, 2013

Egypt's main coalition that supported the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi has denounced the country's proposed transition plan. The rejection came hours after Egypt's new interim premier Hazem el Beblawi was named.

https://p.dw.com/p/194nf
Egyptian supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi (potrait) shout slogans during a rally in support of the former Islamist leader outside Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque on July 9, 2013. AFP PHOTO / MAHMUD HAMS ( Erstellt am: 09 Jul 2013
Image: MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/Getty Images

The National Salvation Front (NSF) announced in a statement late Tuesday "its rejection of the constitutional decree" which called for a rewriting of the constitution, the holding of a referendum on that constitution within four months and parliamentary elections within six months. The coalition said it would look into amendments to the decree, which was issued Monday, but did not specify which clauses it opposed.

Meanwhile the Tamarod campaign, which organized the mass protests calling for Morsi to step down, said it had not been consulted on the transition plan and would propose changes.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which backed Morsi, also rejected the decree and vowed to continue street protests until the former president returns to office.

New interim PM

Earlier on Tuesday Egypt's interim head of state, Adli Mansour, named el Beblawi as interim prime minister. Several months after the removal of former President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, el Beblawi was appointed deputy prime minister for economic affairs and finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

An academic and economist, the 76-year-old Beblawi was chairman and chief executive of the Export Development Bank in Egypt from 1983 to 1995. He then worked for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia as executive secretary until 2000 before becoming an advisor to the Arab Monetary Fund in Abu Dhabi from 2001 to 2011.

Mohamed ElBaradei, who headed the NSF until Morsi was deposed last week, was named as deputy president.

In a conciliatory move, el Beblawi offered cabinet posts to the Muslim Brotherhood, the official MENA news agency quoted a presidential source as saying, however the offer is expected to be rejected.

Unrest in Egypt

Egypt has been in turmoil since Morsi was overthrown last week by the army. More than 50 Morsi supporters were killed Monday during clashes with the military.

On Wednesday, two people were killed when militants attacked police and army positions in the Sinai peninsula with mortar rounds and rocket propelled grenades.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, however, have welcomed the Egyptian military's takeover and the country's new government, promising $8 billion (6 billion euros) in grants, loans and much-needed gas and oil.

dr/ccp (AFP, AP, Reuters)