Egypt Interim President Sets Date For Next Election, Muslim Brotherhood Rejects It

In the wake of Cairo's violence on Monday, Eygpt's interim government has drafted an election timetable. Based on the 33-article decree released by President Adly Monsour, Egypt will hold elections no later than February 2014. 

The Muslim Brotherhood has already rejected the proposal. Essam el-Erian, a senior MB official, said that the transition time line will take Egypt back to "square one." He wrote this warning and condemnation on his Facebook page,

"The cowards are not sleeping, but Egypt will not surrender. The people created their constitution with their votes."

But the very topic of the constitution is where accounts differ. The Muslim Brotherhood asserts that the nation installed the constitution on its own free will, and therefore had no right to depose the government. Anti-Morsi protestors say that Islamists in the government forced the constitution into ratification. And that the widespread demonstrations that broke out after the consitution's installation, support that argument. 

Nevertheless, the legitimacy of the constitution is but a portion of the larger debate at hand -- the legitimacy of Mohammad Morsi's presidency.

The clashes that broke in front of Cairo's Republican Guard on Monday between pro-Morsi protesters and Egyptian military and police officers, are a direct result of this argument. The true sequence of events is unverifiable. 

Morsi supporters said that they were praying peacefully when the military opened fire on them. Military and police personnel have asserted that protesters attempted to cross a military barricade and storm the Republican Guard, while shooters in civilian clothing opened fire. 

Fifty people were killed and 435 more were wounded. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, a military spokesman, one soldier and two police officers had been killed, with another 42 injured.

Upon hearing the news, Egypt's interim government condemned the violence and called for unity. Mohammad El-Baradei, the Egyptian Interim Prime Minister tweeted, 

"Violence begets violence and should be strongly condemned. Independent investigation a must. Peaceful transition is only way."