Mostafa al-Ghoneimy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, said that the group is suspending its sit-in in Tahrir Square.
He added that the sit-in will only be suspended “exceptionally and temporarily.”
In comments to Al-Masry Al-Youm, he added that the Brotherhood believes that suspending the sit-in will give President Mohamed Morsy a chance to formulate a plan of action as well as give Egyptians the opportunity to assess Morsy’s efforts to exercise his full powers and restore the dissolved Parliament.
In response to accusations that the Brotherhood withdrew from Tahrir as soon as their candidate reached power, Ghoneimy said, “This is totally illogical, for there are still several other unmet demands of the revolution.” He added that these demands will only be achieved through protests in Tahrir.
Some young members of the Brotherhood refused to leave Tahrir until the supplementary constitutional declaration is canceled and Parliament convenes again.
Ahmed Osama, a young member of the Brotherhood, said on his Facebook page, “I am leaving Tahrir Square with tears in my eyes to resume my normal life.”
Mohamed Shehata, one of the members of the Brotherhood in Giza, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that attempting to sever Tahrir from politics will have negative repercussions for the Brotherhood and revolutionary forces, as happened before. He called on everyone to remain in Tahrir until all the demands have been met.
Addressing Brotherhood youth who rejected ending the protest in Tahrir, Ghoneimy said, “Whoever objects to the Brotherhood’s decision to suspend the sit-in should remain and should not listen to the Brotherhood or any other political power that left the square,” he went on. “We will be happy about their decision so long as their chief objective is to serve the revolution.”
On Sunday, the Muslim Brotherhood denied it withdrew from Tahrir Square after President Morsy’s speech there on Friday.
The group said its members were “continuing the sit-in at the square until the abolishment of the supplement to the Constitutional Declaration and the return of Parliament.”
The Brotherhood was continuing its sit-in because the group “would not depart from the national consensus of the revolutionary forces” who are holding the sit-in to achieve the revolution’s demands, said Mohamed Wahdan, a member of the Brotherhood Guidance Bureau.
Wahdan told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Sunday that the group would adhere to what the revolutionary groups agree on because “their demands are the demands of the Egyptian people.”
Ali Batteekh, a member of the Brotherhood Shura Council and the secretary of the group’s administrative office in 6th of October City, said Brotherhood leaders instructed members to stay in the square, but not to ignore their work and families.
“Most of the members present in Tahrir are those who live in Cairo and Giza,” Batteekh said. “Members from other governorates are only present on holidays and [at] mass demonstrations.”
Sayed al-Nazily, another member of the Brotherhood Shura Council, said members were instructed to continue the sit-in until the challenge to the court ruling that disbanded Parliament last month. The challenge is scheduled for 9 July.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
