Anadolu: Muslim Brotherhood expresses reservations to Heikal's proposal to resolve Egypt crisis

Sources in the Muslim Brotherhood said that leading Egyptian journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal described his “vision” to resolve the political crisis in Egypt during a meeting with prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders in his office in Cairo this morning. According to the sources, the Brotherhood leaders who attended the meeting have expressed their reservations to Heikal’s proposal.

The meeting raised questions about its timing and whether it included a formal initiative or offer of mediation delivered by the journalist and writer who is known for his close ties with army leaders. However Brotherhood sources said that, “the meeting included only Heikal’s own ‘perception’ [of a possible solution], which the Brotherhood has rejected. The officials expressed the Brotherhood position that we welcome any initiative to resolve the crisis provided that it is based on legitimacy.”

Heikal met with two prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders: Muhammad Ali Bishr, former Minister of Local Development and Amr Darraj, former Planning Minister and member of the Freedom and Justice Party. Both leaders are also members of the National Coalition to Support the Legitimacy and Reject the Coup, a pro-Morsi alliance.

While Heikal was not immediately available to comment, Bishr told Anadolu news agency that, “Heikal proposed a [plan] stating the importance of leaving talk of restoring legitimacy and to [instead] build on the new realities,” in reference to the army’s “future map”. Bishr said, “We have clarified that there are also new realities that we cannot neglect. Protestors who refuse the military coup stage their demands across Egypt’s streets and they are fiercely repressed. They want to establish a future based on constitutional legitimacy, which we should not neglect or ignore. The Constitution grants the right to propose amendments to it and grants the Egyptian president the right to call for early presidential elections or to transfer powers.

Bishr added, “We confirmed during the meeting that the Muslim Brotherhood welcomes all national initiatives for dialogue on the basis of constitutional legitimacy.” Bishr also stressed that, “the Coalition renounces violence and incitement. It insists to restore Egypt’s stability and the Egyptian army’s unity and to distance the army from the political process. The Coalition rejects any bullying acts with external aide. The Coalition is keen to express its views and vision to everyone without exception.”

Bishr explained that, “during the meeting, Heikal neither proposed any initiative by the interim authorities nor negotiated about possible future solutions. And we only presented the Coalition’s views: to support legitimacy and reject the military coup. The meeting did not discuss Heikal’s possible role as a mediator or suggest him to carry the Alliance’s position to the other party.”

Muslim Brotherhood officials who requested not to be named told Anadolu that, “Heikal warned during the meeting of the negative political and economic effects if the pro-Morsi demonstrations continued. Heikal did not propose any formal initiative to resolve the crisis, only his own proposal. Heikal’s vision dictates to stop the continued arrests of Brotherhood members since 3 July, to release the Brotherhood leaders, to unfreeze their money and to halt any decision to dissolve the Brotherhood. In return the Brotherhood would have to stop demonstrations and engage in political work and parliamentary elections, according to the army’s roadmap which was announced on 3 July to amend the Constitution and to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in less than a year.”

The sources pointed out that Heikal’s proposal includes selecting three Muslim Brotherhood members to three ministries. The sources quoted the Muslim Brotherhood leaders who refused Heikal’s proposal stressing that, “there is no substitute for the legitimacy represented by restoring ousted elected President Morsi to his full powers, to return the constitution approved by the people and to try those who committed the massacres that have claimed the lives of thousands of Egyptians.”

The sources pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood leaders also asserted that the demonstrations would continue and the Muslim Brotherhood is no longer the main organizer of them but the Coalition is. Supporters of the Coalition organize daily demonstrations across Egypt against the coup and have been met with violence leaving many dead and others wounded.