The Muslim Brotherhood has been secretly negotiating with the government, while filling Egypt's streets and squares with demonstrators. This is being done with the intention of putting pressure on the political leadership on one hand, and in order to show a possible outcome to its members, who have been told over the past weeks that there would be openings for negotiations.
Egypt Independent has been informed that former Minister of Local Development and Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Bureau member Mohamed Ali Beshr negotiated with the current administration. This was done after contacting various fugitive and jailed Brotherhood leaders in order to agree on the points on which negotiations would be built.
A source close to Beshr told Egypt Indepdent that the latter had contacted NSF leader Mohamed Aboul Ghar, currently abroad, to agree on the political agenda needed to solve the current crisis; after his return to Egypt.
The source added that the Muslim Brotherhood were following two methods: negotiating with secular and liberal sources on an agreement that would be submitted to the military, and negotiating with military leaders directly.
The Supreme Guide Mohamed Badei was leading another initiative from Tora Prison, but had not achieved any results so far, according to the source. He was informed that the military leaders had rejected negotiations.
On the other hand, Friday demonstrations led by the National Alliance and aimed at showing support to the "Friday of the Martyr” bore witness to a significant decline in the number of demonstrators and the lack of organization: brotherhood leaders were absent and the number of protesters was eight times less than the numbers that had previously come out in Rabaa al-Adaweya, al-Nahda and the rest of governorates. Although the number of protesters decreased Friday in Cairo and Giza, as the security authorities imposed a blockade on the capital after Rabaa al-Adaweya and Nahda sit-ins were dispersed by force, it increased in governorates.
Protesters used new methods in 24 August demonstrations, banging on cookware after 7 pm in an attempt to express discontent with the curfew and challenge the security authorities.
By the end of yesterday's protests, the week referred by the National Alliance as "The Week of Departure" had ended.
Demonstrators now focus on Friday 30 August protests, which the Muslim Brotherhood and the National Alliance consider a key event that could alter the current stalemate in negotiations and possibly inject a renewed dynamic to the demonstrations and protesters. Many have indeed ceased to participate in protests due to fear of violent confrontations, where hundreds of protesters died and thousands were injured.
The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy still holds onto its initial demands, including their call for the return of toppled President Mohamed Morsi to power, the return of the suspended Constitution and the Shura Council, as well as a speedy trial of the killers of revolutionaries and retribution for the martyrs. Then Alliance also stresses that the arrests of its leaders will not weaken its members, but on the contrary will urge them to insist on obtaining retribution for all their demands.
