Egypt's Salafi Dawaa, and its political Nour Party, has called on President Mohamed Morsy to set a date for early presidential elections and form a neutral technocratic government, the first signs that the country's political impasse is no longer simply a division between Islamist and opposition. In a statement on Monday, the two Islamist parties also called for the formation of a committee to examine suggestions for amendments to the constitution, upholding articles relating to the Islamic identity of the state while using amendment mechanisms already stipulated in the constitution. "Despite our support for legitimacy, the interests of the nation and the perils of bloodshed should be taken into consideration...a balance has to be struck between interests and evils as well as between ability and incapacity," the statement said. "Legitimacy calls for preventing civil war and not just remaining in power. Achieving this balance has several proofs in Prophet [Mohamed's] biography and the biographies of the Righteous Caliphs." The Salafi group also said that they have been following up on developments in Egyptian politics, including the military's communique. After examining the situation, the Salafi Dawaa and Nour Party reportedly issued the statement in the hope of avoiding further bloodshed, the possible outbreak of civil war and the eruption of clashes which could have grave repercussion for the Islamist project. Edited translation from MENA
