Mursi Declares State of Emergency as the unrest intensifies
Morocco News Tribune and agencies
Oklahoma City, U.S.A– Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi declared, in a televised address, a month-long state of emergency in Port Said, Suez and Ismailia, where most deadly clashes occurred since the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution on 25 Jan.
“I always said I’m against any exceptional measures, but I also said I might resort to such measures if I had to. I may even do more for the sake of Egypt, it’s my duty,” Mursi said.
“I told interior ministry officials to strictly deal with whoever threatens the people, public and private institutions. Everybody should be aware that Egypt’s institutions are capable of defending the country against any threats,” Mursi added.
Reuters quoted Heba Morayef, Human Rights Watch member in Cairo, as saying “a state of emergency reintroduced laws that gave police sweeping powers of arrest “purely because (people) look suspicious. It is a classic knee-jerk reaction to think the emergency law will help bring security,”
On the other hand,Mursi has also called opposition political parties for national dialogue in order to, according to him, overcome the ongoing instability and protests that have swept through Egypt since Friday
“We have no option but to engage in a dialogue, this is the only way to pass the current phase and achieve stability,” he said.
Mursi’s opponents argue that, along with the president’s betrayal of the revolution objectives of social justice, the “distorted constitution”, which was approved by around 64 per cent of Egyptian voters in a national referendum last month, does not represent all factions of society, especially women and minorities.