CAIRO: American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday urged Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to end their ongoing dispute in order to push on with governing the country. She said that settling the two sides' differences would be good for the Egyptian population, but if they could not it could see the country's infant democratic transition crumble. Morsi is attempting to exert his authority, while the military, which supposedly gave up its power over the country on June 30 to the new president, continues to meddle in the country's political affairs, including asserting the Supreme Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve Parliament on June 14. Morsi, in a move seen as pushing against the miltiary, ordered in an edict for Parliament to reconvene, which they did briefly on Tuesday morning. Speaking in Vietnam, Clinton refused to take sides in the simmering dispute. She cited Egypt's progress, as evidenced by competitive elections and the first popularly elected president in the country's “very long history.” But she stressed that much more needed to be done. “Democracy is not just about elections,” she told reporters. “It is about creating vibrant, inclusive political dialogue; listening to civil society; having good relations between civilian officials and military officials, where each is working to serve the interests of the citizens.” Delivering a cautionary message, Clinton said, “We strongly urge dialogue and a concerted effort on the part of all to try to deal with the problems that are understandable, but have to be resolved in order to avoid the kind of difficulties that could derail the transition that is going on.” Egypt is facing its latest struggle in the 18 months since dictator Hosni Mubarak was removed by street protests. This time it pits Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood against SCAF over control of the country's future, in what activists and observers say could result in massive protests and potential violence if the differences cannot be resolved. Other parties have also lashed out at Morsi over the reinstating of Parliament, boycotting Tuesday's session. They, largely the liberal and leftist parties who did not win a significant number of seats, are hopeful that new elections could turn the tide for the liberal community, which has been overwhelmed by the Islamic group's rise to power in recent months.
