Opposition protests scheduled for 30 June will not force President Morsi to call early presidential elections, Freedom and Justice Party spokesperson Hamza Zobai said on Tuesday.
“[The call for protests] is sending a message to the president and government that people want them to perform better,” Zobai said in a phone interview on the private Al-Youm satellite channel.
It is normal for flaws to be found in the performance of the president and government during such a phase. The legacy of the former regime is heavy, Zobai said.
“The protests must be peaceful on all sides, including protesters and security forces,” he added.
Opposition groups are calling for mass protests on 30 June to demand early presidential elections. The call for protests was initiated by the Rebel campaign which was launched in May to "withdraw confidence" from President Morsi by collecting 15 million signatures before the anniversary of his inauguration on 30 June, topping the number of votes he won in the election.
The campaign announced on 29 May that it had collected seven million signatures so far.
Several press statements have been issued by political figures warning of potential violence on 30 June.
For example, leading Brotherhood member Mohamed El-Beltagy on Tuesday warned that a "sectarian war" could erupt if the protests turn violent.
The Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that police would not protect the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters during the protests and would only protect state institutions.
Fears of violence soared after the pro-Morsi 'Impartiality' campaign announced it would hold a sit-in outside the presidential palace two days before planned opposition rallies at the same location.
'Impartiality' was launched by Islamist parties and groups in response to the Rebel (Tamarod) campaign.
On Monday, 'Impartiality' spokesperson Khaled El-Mashaad said the campaign had collected ten million signatures in support of President Morsi.
