Clashes between demonstrations by both supporters and opponents of Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi have escalated to a point where officials consider it necessary to guard the presidential palace with army tanks. Morsi, however, is remaining firm in his commitment to move forward with the process of drafting the constitution.
“The constitutional decree and all its effects will end as soon as the result of the referendum is announced – be it a yes or a no,” said Morsi, referring to a controversial edict that made his actions immune from judicial review. “What I wanted by issuing this decree is to get to the stage of accomplishing the constitution, and the referendum on it to allow this great people [Egyptians] to express their will.”
In addition to anger over the edict, opponents of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, his political party, are demanding Morsi recant his vow to have a constitutional referendum by December 15 and restart the drafting process with greater input from more secular parties. In a televised address to the nation, Morsi condemned the street violence that has plagued the constitutional drafting process and accused remnants of Hosni Mubarak’s regime of attempting to topple the new elected government and Mubarak sympathizers of “hiring thugs and giving out firearms, and the time has come for them to be punished and penalized by the law.” His words did little if anything to mollify the opposition. “We have two simple demands: Cancel the decrees and change the draft constitution. Other than that he can just go away,” said one opponent adamantly.
