Egypt’s Uncertain Political Future Debated After ‘Massacre’

Mass protests were mounted in Egypt and political leaders discussed the creation of a civilian transitional government to rule with military support until new elections next year, after the killing of 51 supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi on Monday.

With 400 protesters injured in addition to the dead, Monday was one of the bloodiest days in Egypt’s recent history. Mohamed Atia, one of the hundreds wounded, told The Guardian, “It was like pouring rain. … They started shooting teargas and then live ammunition. We were shouting ‘peaceful, peaceful’, but the shooting continued.”

The Muslim Brotherhood described the killings as a massacre, while the army defended them as a response to a “terrorist” attack. “Egyptian media came out in solid and uncritical support of the military but key details of what happened remain unexplained,” The Guardian reported.

Samir Radwan, a favorite for the post of prime minister, told The Guardian that he would tackle the economy and “national reconciliation” if appointed.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

The Guardian:

Funerals and a commemoration ceremony for the victims were being held in a highly charged atmosphere, with the Brotherhood promising to mount a “million for the martyrs” protest as the Ramadan holiday began. Tahrir Square in central Cairo was quiet, but Morsi supporters were being kept away.

The Brotherhood and other Islamist groups also quickly rejected a declaration by the interim president, Adly Mansour, calling for new parliamentary elections by February after a referendum on an amended draft constitution, and then another presidential race.

Morsi, now under house arrest, won last year’s election by a narrow majority against an old-regime candidate. The president’s supporters say he was deposed by a military coup. Opponents call his removal by the military a continuation of the 2011 revolution.

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