Egyptian President makes move to assert authority

[Goober]

Egyptian President makes move to assert authority

Egypt's president seizes powers from military - World - CBC News

Egypt President Orders Defense Minister Retirement | World | TIME.com

Egypt President Orders Defense Minister Retirement

Egypt's Islamist president ordered the retirement of the defence minister and chief of staff on Sunday and made the boldest move so far to seize back powers that the military stripped from his office right before he took over.

Mohammed Morsi has been locked in a power struggle with the military since he took office on June 30. But after militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers a week ago at a border post with Israel in Sinai, he has sought more aggressively to assert his authority over the top generals.

He fired the nation's intelligence chief a few days ago and made two highly publicized visits to Sinai in the company of top commanders. He also chaired several meetings with the military brass and made a point of calling himself the supreme commander of the armed forces in televised speeches.

It was not immediately clear whether Morsi's surprise decisions had the military's blessing. But the appointment of outgoing Defence Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Gen. Sami Annan as presidential advisers and awarding them some of the nation's highest honours suggested they may have agreed, perhaps grudgingly, in advance.

Egypt's official Middle East News Agency, quoting an unnamed military official in a brief report, said late Sunday that Morsi's moves were "deliberated and co-ordinated" in advance. It said there were no "negative reactions" from within the military.

A few hours after the decisions were announced, Morsi called on Egyptians to rally behind him in the face of the nation's many challenges.

"Today's decisions are not directed at certain persons or meant to embarrass certain institutions... I only had in mind the interest of this nation and its people," he said in a televised speech. "I want (the armed forces) to dedicate themselves to a mission that is holy to all of us and that is the defence of the nation."

After nightfall, thousands of jubilant Morsi supporters celebrated in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak 18 months ago. Another crowd of supporters formed outside the presidential palace in Cairo's suburb of Heliopolis.

Sweeping changes
Adding to the sweeping changes in the military leadership, Morsi also ordered the retirement of the commanders of the navy, air defence and air force, but named two of them to senior positions.

He appointed a senior judge, Mahmoud Mekki, as vice-president. Mekki is a pro-reform judge who publicly spoke against election fraud during Mubarak's 29-year rule.

 

[damngrumpy]

There is more going on here than meets the eye though. On CNN this morning it was
announced and they appointed the two fired generals to advisers to the new President.
Rumours also abound that a new waive of demonstrations may start on the 26Th to
protest the current President. This whole thing is a long way from over.

 

[Goober]

There is more going on here than meets the eye though. On CNN this morning it was
announced and they appointed the two fired generals to advisers to the new President.
Rumours also abound that a new waive of demonstrations may start on the 26Th to
protest the current President. This whole thing is a long way from over.

Oh yes- more to come- He won with 50% and a tad.

 

[coldstream]

This isn't encouraging. The military considers itself Guarantors of the Constitution, which allows Free practice of religion, especially by the Christian minority. But Morsi's party.. the Islamic Brotherhood are ideological and theocratic purists who have pledged to rid Egypt of all infidels... and to re-establish Sharia Law as the constitutional basis for an Islamic Republic. It seems like a case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.. something has to give.. and it won't be by gentle persuasion.

 

[Goober]

This isn't encouraging. The military considers itself Guarantors of the Constitution, which allows Free practice of religion, especially by the Christian minority. But Morsi's party.. the Islamic Brotherhood are ideological and theological purists who have pledged to rid Egypt of all infidels... and to re-establish Sharia Law as the constitutional basis for an Islamic Republic. It seems like a case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.. something has to give.. and it won't be by gentle persuasion.

His making a move was expected- the disaster in the Sinai gave him the leverage to act.

 

[CDNBear]

Oh yes- more to come- He won with 50% and a tad.

That's nothing like a dangling chad is it?

 

[damngrumpy]

Did anyone expect the new president and his Muslim Brotherhood friends to
respect anything let alone the constitution? Dreaming in technicolor, these
people have no respect for religion freedom of speech or anything else. They
understand raw power and the depth of gullibility in the west. Mubarak had to
go and be replaced by crazy people.
Hosni Mubarak was better than what these people are going to get. Can you
imagine they have a government that will want to return to the seventeenth
century sort of like the Christian Conservatives in America

 

[Goober]

Did anyone expect the new president and his Muslim Brotherhood friends to
respect anything let alone the constitution? Dreaming in technicolor, these
people have no respect for religion freedom of speech or anything else. They
understand raw power and the depth of gullibility in the west. Mubarak had to
go and be replaced by crazy people.
Hosni Mubarak was better than what these people are going to get. Can you
imagine they have a government that will want to return to the seventeenth
century sort of like the Christian Conservatives in America

They are still trying to write a constitution- The Military threw out the last elected parliament- Morsi took it to court -lost

Now it is all move and counter move- The President is in a tight spot- Economy is the major issue outside of the wing nuts agenda-

This could go on for a decade. The Generals do not want a thugocracy like Iran and I am sure they will not permit that-