(AFP/ File Photo)
Major Ahmed Shaaban, manager of the office for the military spokesman, denied a story published in Wednesday’s state-owned Al-Ahram, detailing a potential roadmap that would be enacted if President Mohamed Morsi and his opposition did not come to an agreement by the army’s deadline of Wednesday afternoon.
Referring specifically to the report published by the state-owned paper, Shaaban said it “made no sense.”
The alleged plan, reported by Al-Ahram, said the current constitution, which was ratified in December, would be removed and a panel of experts would be given the responsibility of creating a new constitution that would be approved by a consensus of Egyptians. The report also stated that the draft would then be put to a nationwide referendum after it was approved by Al-Azhar.
According to the alleged plan, the armed forces would also assemble a three-member presidential council, headed by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, who is currently Adly Mansour, and two other undetermined political leaders. This council would manage the affairs of the country for a transitional period that would last between nine months and one year.
The roadmap would also include a neutral interim government that would be headed by a military leader during the transitional period, and would prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections as dictated by the new constitution.
The army, according to the report, would oversee the procedures and mechanisms under which these transitional measures would take place in order to ensure their “impartial implementation.”
The deadline for reconciliation, set by the armed forces on Monday, is set to expire on Wednesday afternoon. Morsi has rejected the ultimatum and called on the armed forces to withdraw its announcement.
Additional reporting by Nouran El Behairy
