The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy delegation did not discuss with the US and EU envoys any initiative proposed to end the current political crisis between Egypt's interim government and the Muslim Brotherhood in its meeting, said Tarek El-Malt, the official spokesperson of the Islamist pro-Morsi coalition and leading member of the Islamist Al-Wasat Party.
El-Malt revealed to Al-Ahram Arabic news website that US ambassador Anne Patterson, reviled by many anti-Morsi Egyptians for her previous support to the deposed Islamist leader, did not suggest any solutions and did not even speak at all [during the meeting]. EU envoy Bernardo Leon and US envoy William Burns were the ones who spoke and did not propose any initiatives."
News reports in Egypt claimed that US envoy William Burns suggested that ousted president Morsi should leave Egypt and seek refuge in a foreign country to end the current political crisis.
El-Malt added that he did not meet the Qatari or Emirati foreign ministers nor was he invited to meet them.
"The coalition sent a message to the foreign mediators that we reject any foreign intervention in Egypt's internal affairs and that the solution to the current crisis will not be a security one but rather a political deal," El-Malt revealed, adding that Burns understood this reality.
"We did not invite those Arab and foreign mediators to Cairo. Those who support the coup called them because they are not confident in their move against legitimacy."
The Islamist coalition spokesman also denied that Burns and Leon discussed a recent proposal by former presidential candidate and Muslim Brotherhood ally Mohamed Selim El-Awa to end the standoff by turning to parliamentary elections.
"We appreciate the initiatives proposed by Dr. Salim El Awa and [former prime minister] Hisham Qandil as they were based on the constitution, but they were rejected by the other side, which has to decide whether they will accept political solutions or not," said El-Malt.
"We are flexible to accept a political solution, but incitement against legitimacy supporters has to stop. The closed Islamist religious TV channels have to be re-opened again and the leading Islamist figures who have been arrested and accused of false charges must be released," El-Malt said.
After expressing his "respect towards the 30 June protesters and their demands," El-Malt, however, insisted that any political solution should include the return to the 2012 constitution, the reinstatement of Morsi, and the return of the dissolved Shura Council.
