ElBaradei calls for halt of ‘not peaceful’ Brotherhood sit-ins

Egyptian interim vice-president Mohamed ElBaradei has said he hopes two Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins pressing for the reinstatement of president Mohamed Morsi will “end or be scaled down” before tomorrow’s feast that ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"This situation cannot continue," he stated in an interview with yesterday's pan-Arab daily Sharq al-Awsat, as the sit-ins are "not peaceful. The state cannot allow any group, whether they have legitimate demands or not, to use violence." He cited instances of torture and the murder of at least nine people within Brotherhood encampments in Nasr City and Giza.

Although criticised for his opposition to forcible dispersal of the sit-ins, Dr ElBaradei urged that “controlled violence” could be used “only as a last resort”.

He proposed containing the two sit-ins within their current locations instead of dismantling them by force, and then launching negotiations with the Brotherhood with the aim of including it in post-Morsi political life. He made the point that the Brotherhood must understand “there is no way back” to the situation before July 3rd when Mr Morsi was ousted.

In separate comments, Dr ElBaradei, who heads the mainstream liberal coalition, urged the media to stop “demonising” the Brotherhood and told it not to “count on the security forces dispersing the sit-ins by force, causing a massacre and turning you into victims. [This] would only increase the people’s anger against you.”

His comments were reported against the background of another day of marches staged by the Brotherhood against Mr Morsi’s ouster and a hunger strike by 170 pro-Morsi detainees in Alexandria and 179 in Cairo to protest ill-treatment.

Brotherhood spokesman Gehad el-Haddad said only Mr Morsi’s reinstatement, the revival of the Brotherhood-drafted constitution and the return of the Brotherhood-dominated upper house of parliament would end the crisis.

Meanwhile, US Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham held talks with military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and representatives of the pro-Morsi camp. Mr McCain urged dialogue and a return to democracy while Mr Graham called for Brotherhood leaders to be freed as it is not possible to talk while they are in prison.

Ouster vs coup
Although the White House and state department have refused to characterise the July 3rd ouster of Mr Morsi as a "coup", the senators did so, putting at risk $1.3 billion in US military aid.

Their remarks and an unconfirmed report in the Egypt Independent that US president Barack Obama has agreed to meet Brotherhood representatives in Washington could stiffen the movement's resolve to carry on with protests as well as anger Egyptians who support the ouster of Mr Morsi.

The senators are due to depart this morning while US assistant secretary of state William Burns, who has been shuttling among the various political players, is set for an indefinite stay in Cairo. EU and Gulf envoys have also been trying to mediate a deal between the Brotherhood and the caretaker authorities.