Egyptian intellectuals unveil initiative to 'restore democracy'

A host of Egyptian intellectuals, politicians and activists on Thursday unveiled an initiative aimed at 'restoring' democracy in Egypt following the ouster early this month of elected President Mohamed Morsi. The initiative lays down five steps to restore the democratic process in Egypt – based on the 2012 constitution – and resolve the ongoing political crisis. It proposes delegating presidential authority to an interim transitional government, which would immediately call for parliamentary polls. Following elections, a "permanent" government would be drawn up and assume executive power. Under the terms of the initiative, early presidential elections would be held in accordance with the constitution. Necessary measures will also be taken to amend the national charter and achieve national reconciliation based on the constitution. "This scenario aims to protect the gains of the January 2011 revolution against attempts to tarnish it… and relies on political and constitutional mechanisms – elections and referendums – as tools to express the popular will," read a statement that accompanied the initiative. The initiative was signed by a host of dignitaries, including Hasan al-Shafae, adviser to Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb; legal expert Tareq al-Beshri; Islamist scholar and former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim al-Awa; and prominent intellectual Mohamed Emara. Signatories also include political analyst Hisham Gaafar, sociologist Ibrahim al-Bayoumi and political science professor Heba Raouf Ezzat, among others. Egypt has been in the throes of political crisis since the army ousted Morsi on July 3 following mass protests against his regime. The army also suspended the constitution and installed Adly Mansour, the head of Egypt's constitutional court, as interim president under a roadmap for the upcoming transitional phase. Defiant Morsi supporters have since been staging daily demonstrations and sit-ins nationwide to defend his democratic legitimacy and demand his reinstatement. On Wednesday, army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi urged Egyptians to take to the streets for mass Friday protests to "authorize" him to "confront violence and terrorism." Morsi supporters are also preparing for mass Friday rallies as part of an ongoing campaign against what they view as a "military coup against constitutional legitimacy."