No exceptional measures against pro-Morsi protests

Mostafa Hegazi, political adviser to interim President Adly Mansour, said Wednesday that no exceptional measures would be taken against demonstrations in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. "Peaceful protest is the guaranteed right of all citizens," Hegazi told a press conference at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo. "No exceptional measures will be adopted to deal with these protests," he added. The adviser warned, however, that the law would be applied to demonstrators engaged in blocking roads. Hegazi went on to point out that the new interim president was a judge and would therefore not accept any measures against protesters that might violate the law. Following mass protests against his regime, Morsi – Egypt's first democratically elected president – was removed from power by the military on July 3 within the context of an army-imposed political roadmap. The military also suspended the constitution and installed the head of Egypt's constitutional court as interim president. Thousands of Morsi supporters, meanwhile, have continued to stage daily protests to demand his reinstatement. Pro-Morsi demonstrators have called for more mass rallies on Wednesday to condemn what they say was a "military coup" against an elected president. At least seven people were killed and scores injured on Monday in protests held by Morsi supporters. At Wednesday's press conference, Hegazi also said that efforts to achieve national reconciliation would begin after the current transitional phase, although he provided no further details regarding the timeframe. "National reconciliation will include all groups without exclusion," he said, adding that the state would supervise reconciliation efforts and the process of achieving transitional justice. "Reconciliation will not be between political factions that swapped power, but rather will aim at achieving peace and reducing the risk to social harmony," he said. Earlier this month, Adly issued a 33-article constitutional declaration that called for amending Egypt's suspended constitution before holding parliamentary and presidential polls. The declaration also gives the interim president legislative authority after consulting with the government until a new parliament can be elected.