Egypt’s newspapers Wednesday were mostly concerned with different, sometimes conflicting speculations over the fate of the country’s current government, as well as the Cabinet’s refusal of an urgent loan offered by the IMF.
State owned Al-Ahram states in its main headline that the Cabinet rejected an offer by IMF to loan the country US$750 million, quoting Finance Minister Morsy Hegazy as saying the loan’s dangers outweigh the advantages.
According to the paper, Hegazy also said that ongoing political divisions are preventing the larger $4.8 billion loan from the IMF from being finalized, saying that only a more stable political situation would allow it to go through.
The same paper quotes Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Ashraf al-Araby as saying that the IMF expressed positive remarks on the government’s economic development program, adding that the cabinet is inviting the IMF for another visit to further discuss Egypt’s economic plan.
State-owned Al-Gomhurriya state-owned newspaper’s main headline denies previous remarks by unnamed presidential sources hinting at a Cabinet reshuffle. The newspaper quotes Cabinet spokesperson Alaa al-Hadidy who denies these allegations, adding that the presidency values the role of the current Cabinet and fully understands the difficulties facing the government.
The newspaper also reports on the current state of political instability that the government seems unwilling to confront, particularly in Gharbiya Governorate, where residents’ protests against a visit by Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky to open a new court devolved into clashes with police.
The protests trapped Mekky inside the court, forcing to leave from the back door in another car after his original one was surrounded by angry protesters, who slammed the minister’s politicized stances on alleged human rights violations by the current government.
The privately owned newspaper Al-Shorouk quotes unnamed sources denying a possible new military coup to replace the current Brotherhood regime, against which public anger has been mounting. The sources also say that the Brotherhood is willing to negotiate for early presidential elections.
The newspaper quotes the “non-political sources” as saying that a communication between senior military leaders and various political forces is taking place to negotiate a way out of the current political deadlock, while confirming that the Armed Forces does not intend to carry out a military coup at the moment.
The sources said, according to Al-Shorouk, that the military could play a role in order to “correct the direction of the revolution,” or possibly carry out a “limited intervention to prevent the formation of armed militias,” describing this as a “scary development.”
The source also says that any future intervention will happen in accordance with the army’s constitutional role to protect the country, with Port Said as an example.
The newspaper also quotes a leader from the ruling Muslim Brotherhood group as confirming the sources’ remarks.
The newspaper further refers to speculations within “the community of political Islam in Egypt” of mounting pressure on the Brotherhood to conduct early presidential elections, in fear of the dwindling support of the Islamist project in general.
“Two sources, one from the Brotherhood and another from the Salafis, both confirmed that the issue is not [met] with the usual, previous rejection inside the Brotherhood’s Guidance bureau,” the newspaper says.
Privately owned Al-Tahrir has a different angle though, saying in its main headline that people are angry with President Mohamed Morsy, “his supreme guide” and “his justice minister,” referring to recent public attacks against the Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie in City Stars Mall and against Mekky by Gharbiya residents.
The newspaper quotes a report by the US Foreign Relations Council that allegedly describes the Interior Ministry as a “chaotic ministry” according to the paper.
The privately owned newspaper Al-Watan reports on plans to organize a Friday protest named “Friday of the Last Chance,” in which revolutionaries and former military officers will protest in support of the Armed Forces and against the “state of militias.”
The newspaper says that forces, including “retired military officers,” “Maspero Youth,” “Egypt is above all” and “The Silent Majority,” will organize the protests to demand the Armed Forces play a role in resolving the political stalemate.
Egypt’s papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Al-Sabah: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
