Egypt president Mohamed Mursi has rebuffed an army ultimatum to find a resolution to Egypt’s political crisis, saying that he has not been consulted and will pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.Mursi described the 48-hour deadline, set on Monday by the head of the armed forces for him to agree on a common platform with liberal rivals, as confusing.
The protests have drawn at least 14 million people into the streets, with a large number of them demanding Mursi’s resignation.
In a statement issued at nearly 2am on Tuesday, nine hours after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delighted Mursi’s opponents by effectively ordering the president to heed the demands of demonstrators, the president’s office used considerably less direct language to indicate he would try to take little notice.
‘The president of the republic was not consulted about the statement issued by the armed forces,’ it said, reports Al Jazeera.
‘The presidency sees that some of the statements in it carry meanings that could cause confusion in the complex national environment.’
The stalemate has triggered a series of resignations by cabinet ministers, leaving Mursi isolated.
Senior officials who have quit include foreign minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, who tendered his resignation on Tuesday.
– Agencies via banglanews24.com
