(AFP File Photo)
Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Deputy Chairman Essam Al-Erian eliminated the possibility of witnessing successful, popular protests on 30 June.
Several opposition figures are planning nationwide protests on 30 June aimed at overthrowing the current regime and calling for early presidential elections.
Al-Erian told London-based Al-Hayat newspaper that the “political elites” calling for the protests are “completely isolated” from the average Egyptians and oblivious to their daily struggles.
The FJP leading figure alleged that if average Egyptians take to the street, they would be protesting against “the opposition”, adding that “the citizens realise it is the opposition which is stalling the wheel of development.”
“I don’t think that the current problems and crises would help the opposition rally for the 30 June protests,” Al-Hayat quoted Al-Erian as saying. “The main cause of those protests is a political one; it doesn’t involve livelihood issues.”
Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya spokesperson Mohamed Hassaan meanwhile stressed the likelihood of the outburst of violence and clashes during the scheduled protests. Hassaan claimed to Al-Hayat that “internal parties are receiving foreign funds to instigate chaos in Egypt in a manner which would make it resemble the situation in Syria or Libya.”
“It is those who demand the breach of the elected president’s legitimacy who call for clashes,” Hassaan said. “We do not support [President Mohamed] Morsi; it is the legitimacy of an elected president that we support.”
Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya’s spokesperson stated that the call for early presidential elections is a violation of legitimacy and warrants the trial of those who call for it. He added that there are legal and constitutional means to change the president instead of “inventing” a method outside the constitutional system.
“If the current president is ousted, stability would never reign over Egypt,” Hassaan said. “If the opposition managed to overthrow the president, who would rule next? If he is one of the current opposition, we will take to the streets to topple him.”
The Salafi Al-Nour Party condemned the state of mutual threats currently being exchanged between the regime and its supporters from one side and its opposition from the other side. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Salafi party warned that a clash where all shall lose and none shall win is looming.
“We are not on the verge of a war between the believers and the infidels or those pro the Islamist-project and those against it,” the statement read.
The party added that many of those who oppose the president had supported him and his policies and “love Islam and the Islamic Sharia”. The statement added that many do not belong to the National Salvation Front (NSF) or the Tamarod rebel campaign.
The party called for another “serious, national dialogue”, to be preceded by a meeting between representatives of all political and societal movements.
Meanwhile Mustafa Al-Baz, the deputy minister of interior for the Prisons Sector, stated that the ministry is planning to secure 42 prisons nationwide during the protests.
“We will not allow the absurdity of breaking into prisons which took place during the 25 January Revolution to happen again,” Al-Baz said.
The Tamarod campaign, a petition movement collecting signatures withdrawing their confidence in Morsi as president, was the first to call for the 30 June protests. The calls were then adopted by several opposition movements.
