Al-Sisi: Morsi Rejected Holding Referendum, People Only Source of Legitimacy
In his first remarks since Mohammed Morsi's ouster, Egypt's military chief said on Sunday the armed forces acted according to the will of the people because the former Islamist government had stumbled.
Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made his comments on the eve of another round of mass protests by Morsi's Islamist supporters who have accused the military of staging a coup and demanded the reinstatement of Egypt's first democratically elected president.
The July 3 overthrow of Morsi has come under criticism from many in the international community because of concerns about its effect on Egypt's efforts to become a democracy following the February 2011 toppling of autocrat Hosni Mubarak's regime in a popular uprising.
Al-Sisi said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces respected the June 2012 elections that propelled Morsi to power with a narrow victory and tried to stay out of politics. But he said the military could no longer stand on the sidelines as millions of Egyptians took to the streets to call for the Islamist leader to step down because of allegations he was abusing his power.
Al-Sisi said he reached out to Morsi through two envoys, including then Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, on more than one occasion urging him to hold a referendum on whether voters still supported his presidency, but the suggestion was rejected out of hand.
"No one is a guardian of the public, and no one can dictate or force a path or thought that they don't accept," al-Sisi said in remarks to officers, which were reported by state-run media. "The armed forces sincerely accepted the choice of the people, but then political decision-making began stumbling and the armed forces took the view that any correction or adjustment must come from only one source and that is the legitimacy of the people."
The decision led to mass demonstrations by his supporters and bloody clashes with security forces and rival protesters. Morsi's supporters have been holding a sit-in to demand his reinstatement as well as calling for the ousted president to be released from detention. He has been held by the army in an undisclosed location since his removal from office. The Muslim Brotherhood and allies called for more mass rallies nationwide on Monday.
Source: Agence France Presse, Associated Press
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