Four long days ago I called for the freeing of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and outlined a bold plan that would have Morsi, the “Interim President”, and the head of the Military, all agreeing, for love of Egypt, to a new future – http://wp.me/p4cuy-8lo.
From a few days ago:
EGYPT – URGENTLY NEEDED…A New, Different, Better, ROADMAP – July 9
NOT THE GENERAL’S FORMULA ALONE
Uniquely difficult situations require uniquely difficult solutions. For the solution to work in today’s Egypt no one party can attempt to vanquish and push under the others. For the solution to work in today’s Egypt all the major parties are going to have to give in a big way, yet in a way they can still maintain their dignity and pride.
The idea that an American-sponsored, armed, financed, Army can install old Mubarak-era cronies and simply declare the elections and Constitution from last year void, claim legitimacy for a military-controlled do-over, and massacre protestors in the streets is a formula for unending chaos, bloodshed, and years if not decades of civil disturbances if not civil war.
What has happened in recent days is so fraught with the potential for even greater disaster that all parties should take a deep breath and realize that if they try to vanquish one or the other they will all fail. That is a prescription for making Egypt ungovernable for years to come, further destroying the economy and critical tourist industry in the process.
So what to do?
After the deep breaths, the former head of the Constitution Court, now the so-called “Interim President”, Adly Mansour, the head of the Army, General Abdel Fateh al-Sisi, and the President popularly elected last year, Mohamed Morsi, should all appear together on TV to announce:
1) President Morsi is resuming his duties as elected President with the concurrence of the Constitutional Court and the Military as he has agreed to the following:
2) A new Cabinet has been agreed to by all three, a Cabinet that includes prominent representatives from all of the major political parties and social movements.
3) This new Cabinet will also serve as a Constitutional Committee, to be chaired by the head of the Constitutional Court. This Committee will prepare a report suggesting changes and amendments to the Constitution by 1 October with the goal of bringing about a wide popular consensus.
4) On 6 October, an important date in modern Egyptian history, a popular referendum will be held on the new amendments proposed by the Constitutional Committee which includes popular agreement to hold new elections.
5) Then on 6 November Parliamentary and Presidential elections should be held for the first time together. The goal this time should be strenuous attempts at understanding and compromise so Egypt can be political stablized and able to concentrate on the most critical task of economic development, job creation, domestic and international investment, and a environment conducive to tourism and development.
6) In keeping with this new bold attempt at national reconciliation two new Cabinet Departments should be established. The first should be known as Youth Development and the focus should be on education, jobs, and redress of grievances expressed by the youth of Egypt. The Minister for this department should in fact be someone from the young generation who is widely respected. The second new Department should be known as Social Development and Reconciliation and the focus should be on dialog, cooperation, and reconciliation between all political and social groups in Egypt with the active assistance of international organizations and NGOs from around the world. The Minister should again be someone from outside the former political establishment who is widely respected by all major political factions.
Mark Bruzonsky 