Egypt’s interim administration has published a timetable for a transition to a new democratic government, just hours after the Muslim Brotherhood called for nationwide protests after the army shot dead scores of people outside the elite Republican Guards’ headquarters in Cairo where the army is suspected to be holding ousted president Morsi.
The interim administration expressed “deep regret” for those killed in violence in Cairo on Monday, adding that it had formed a judicial committee to investigate the events.
Interim president Adly Mansour on Tuesday morning released details of a timetable for parliamentary elections by 2014, after which a date will be announced for a presidential ballot.
The country will have five months to amend the current draft constitution, suspended following Mohamed Morsi’s removal last week, ratify it in a referendum, and then hold parliamentary elections, according to the text of the 33-article decree published online.
The whole process will take no more than 210 days, according to the decree, meaning elections by February at the latest.
A senior Muslim Brotherhood official denounced the decree. “A constitutional decree by a man appointed by putchists… brings the country back to square one,” said Essam al-Erian in a Facebook posting.
The Brotherhood has called for nationwide protests to take place a day after a deadly shooting at the site of a sit-in by its supporters in Cairo left at least 51 dead and hundreds injured.
The Islamist group released the names of 42 people killed outside the Republican Guards’ building, as the interior ministry and military said two policemen and a soldier were also killed.
The military blamed “terrorists”, while witnesses, including Brotherhood supporters at the scene, said security forces fired only warning shots and tear gas, and that “thugs” in civilian clothes carried out the shootings.
The US who has been criticised for not commenting on the actions of the military in Egypt has called on the Egyptian army to exercise “maximum restraint”, while also condemning “explicit” Brotherhood calls to violence.
