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Africa North
Egypt opposition calls for national dialogue
2013-01-31
Must be getting their butts kicked...
CAIRO -- Egypt's liberal opposition leader on Wednesday called for a broad national dialogue with the Islamist government, all political factions and the powerful military, aimed at stopping the country's eruption of political violence that has left 60 dead the past week.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei's
...at least he did something before he won his prize...
appeal appeared to be aimed at responding to a sharp warning by the head of the armed forces a day earlier that Egypt could collapse unless the country's feuding political factions reconcile.

But so far the opposition National Salvation Front headed by ElBaradei and the government of President Mohammed Mursi have been at loggerheads, with the front demanding Mursi make major concessions as a condition for any dialogue. Mursi has ignored their demands, holding his own "national dialogue" program, mainly with his own Islamist allies.
In other words, he's talking to himself...
In a Tweet, ElBaradei called for an immediate meeting between Mursi, the defense and interior ministers, the Brotherhood's political party, the National Salvation Front and parties of the ultraconservative Salafi movement "to take urgent steps to stop the violence and start a serious dialogue."
Great, just great, tweeting in Cairo. Meanwhile the camel drivers are getting out their whips...
He said stopping the violence is the priority, but stuck by the front's previous conditions for holding a dialogue -- that Mursi form a national unity government and form a commission to amend contentious articles of the Islamist-backed constitution.

There was no immediate response from the presidency or the Muslim Brotherhood on ElBaradei's new call. Mursi was on a brief visit to Germany and was expected back in Egypt later Wednesdsay.

Over the past week, Mursi ignored ElBaradei's demands,
...generally a good idea...
and the Brotherhood said they don't accept conditions for talks.
Posted by:Steve White

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