MEPs were due to vote on a crucial resolution on the escalating Egyptian crisis Thursday, at a sitting of the parliamentary plenary in Strasbourg, as they considered the “significant implications” for the Middle East region of mass demonstrations in the country, which led to the army ousting under-fire President Mohamed Morsi from power Wednesday.
Addressing cross-party parliamentarians in place of the absent EU foreign policy chief ahead of the army’s looming deadline for Morsi to restore peace following the unprecedented violent demonstrations that heralded his first anniversary in office Wednesday, Lithuanian Vice Minister for European Affairs Vytautas Leskevicius, representing the incoming EU presidency, said the realisation of democracy was “ultimately about listening to the citizens and making compromises, ensuring that the voices of all people – and not simply the majority are heard”.
Despite the EU’s reminders of Morsi’s post-poll promise, on entering office as Egypt’s first democratically-elected President, to serve as “the representative of all Egyptians”, the Islamist leader remained publicly defiant until the end, refusing to heed calls from opposition groups and activists for his resignation, and insisting he would proceed with his government’s “pre-planned path to hold a national reconciliation”.
Following two hours of military deployment in Cairo, which saw soldiers and armoured personal carriers take up position at various points in the Egyptian capital, Defence Minister Abdel Fatah al-Sissi confirmed the army had forced Morsi from power in a political coup.
Responding to the news, Ashton failed to offer her support to the former leader, despite having engaged with him substantially in his year in office, calling instead for the rapid “holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution” in response to the expressions of “popular demands for political change” which have emanated from protestors in the course of the three day uprising which began Sunday.
Condemning the violence which left a reported 32 dead as Morsi was forced from office Wednesday night, she concluded: “I hope that the new administration will be fully inclusive and reiterate the importance of ensuring full respect for fundamental rights, freedoms, and the rule of law and will hold the authorities to account for this.”
Leskevicius for his part sought to focus on the EU’s overall support for an inclusive democratic transition, which he argued, had seen it invest “time and efforts to support the democratic evolution of the country – engaging at all levels with government and opposition”. Acknowledging the lack of delivery on the government’s post-Arab Spring commitments, following a damning report of the EU’s use dof its influence as a significant investor in Egypt by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) last month, he added that “apart from the political stalemate, mistrust and in many areas worrying human rights situation, what possibly has triggered such mass protests is the fact that more than two years on, Egyptians are feeling worse off than they were before 2011”.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote by the European Parliament sitting, which will see members attempt to reach consensus on their position of the latest unrest leading to Morsi’s ousting, as well as his Muslim Brotherhood party’s alleged lack of progress towards building a national dialogue, addressing human rights abuses in particularly concerning women, as well as growing concerns regarding the increasing restrictions placed on freedom of conscience, belief and religion in the formerly secular country, EP President Martin Schulz praised “the democratic vigilance and civic activism of Egyptian citizens” that led to the decisive protests. Such impulses to democracy “remain a source of comfort in these crucial and dramatic days”, he added.
Acknowledging the installation of interim President Adly Mansour in the lead-up to expected “peaceful, inclusive and transparent” elections, he called for calm and order, as he insisted that “confrontation must be replaced by dialogue, in deeds and not just in words”.
“A strong parliament, expression of all the civic forces and views which make-up the Egyptian society, is the best safeguard against any authoritarian drift and a mean to ensure the stability, democracy and pluralism of the future Egypt,” read his conclusions.