‘Egypt Has Overcome a Conspiracy against the State’: Interim Presidential Spokesman
Egyptian presidential aide for media affairs, Ahmed El-Meslemani, said Sunday that the country has overcome a “conspiracy” to bring down the state, amidst the interim government’s ongoing campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood group and its Islamist allies.
“We were facing a funded conspiracy against the state, but we have overcome it and we are now ready to move on to building the future for a modern Egypt,” El-Meslemani said in a joint news conference with interim presidential aide for scientific affairs, Essam Heggy.
“Those who attempt to break our army belong in the same garbage bin with the Tatars and the Crusaders,” El-Meslemani added.
El-Meslemani asserted Sunday that his deliberations with the country’s political actors – as a delegate of the presidency – are ongoing. This includes discussion with the Salafist Nour Party, despite rumours that the Islamist group is at odds with the government over disagreements on the position of Islamic Sharia law in the proposed amendments to the suspended 2012 constitution.
For his part, Heggy affirmed the importance of establishing a reliable scientific research base in Egypt, adding that one of the suggestions for the constitutional committee includes allocating a percentage of the national budget to support scientific research in Egypt.
Last week, the presidency announced that the make-up of the 50-member committee for constitutional amendements would be announced “within days.”
Army chief, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, announced a political roadmap for the country after overthrowing former President Mohamed Morsi amidst nationwide protests.
The roadmap, approved by most of the country’s oppositional forces, has included the suspending of the constitution – approved in the December 2012 referendum – and the installing of the head of the Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, as interim President.
Security forces dispersed two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo on Wednesday 14 August, killing hundreds and injuring thousands. On the same night, the governemnt declared a one-month emergency law and 7pm-6am curfew to contain defiant Morsi supporters.
Police have also carried out an ongoing campaign to arrest prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members, who were officially accused by the state of committing “terrorist acts” against their opponents.
Source: Ahram Online
