CAIRO: In a city where new concrete walls are being erected as police bombard protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets, the ongoing political impasse over Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's recent decree that gives him near absolute power above the rule of law, has seen tensions rise. With the killing of a 15-year-old boy on Sunday night in the Nile Delta city of Damanhour, the country is facing an unprecedented level of uncertainty. Many in the downtown Cairo area are fearful that the violence of the past few days could spiral into an even greater civil conflict between factions. “It is a fear that the protesters, the police and the Muslim Brotherhood could get involved in an all-out battle on the streets and this could cause lots of violence and death,” shopkeeper Ahmed told Bikyamasr.com. His shop is barely accessible on Cairo's Qasr el-Aini street, with customers being forced to squeeze through a narrow opening in a barbed wire fence that has been erected. Across downtown Cairo around Parliament and the ministry of interior, concrete walls bar residents from moving swiftly from one street to another. It is all the result of protests and police clashes that have afflicted Egypt for the past two years. Morsi attempted to downplay the decree he announced on November 22 that sparked the mass protests and eventual clashes that have occurred in Cairo and numerous other cities, but it hasn't been enough to end the frustration. He did tell Egyptians on Sunday evening that “I am not a dictator,” but for those stationed in their tent-city in Tahrir Square, it may be too little too late for the president. In the statement from the president's office, it reiterated that it was committed to working with “all political forces" in an effort to come to a compromise and reach common ground on the constitution. It stressed the “temporary nature" of the presidential decree issued on Thursday that has enraged most political forces in the country against the president. “This declaration is deemed necessary in order to hold accountable those responsible for the corruption as well as other crimes during the previous regime and the transitional period," the presidency said in a statement. In light of the calls by the protesters that Morsi was taking absolute power over the country, the statement said the decree was “not meant to concentrate powers," but to devolve them. However, activists in Tahrir told Bikyamasr.com that this was “another attempt by the government to maintain its power as the people know better than to listen to these lies." Tents have been erected by liberal groups and movements in Tahrir Square, within view of the violence, which moved from Qasr el-Aini street on Saturday evening to near the Omar Makram mosque on the edges of the iconic square. On Sunday afternoon they lashed out at the president, saying he would be held responsible for “crimes of murder, torture and arrests carried out by the interior ministry against protesters." In a statement on Sunday, the National Forces Coalition, which brings together several liberal groups, said that its ongoing Tahrir sit-in will continue until the “unconstitutional" and “dictatorial" decrees of Morsi are reversed. Signed by more than 35 political movements and parties, the statement demanded the dissolution of the constituent assembly that is drafting the country's constitution, the sacking of the interior minister and a cabinet reshuffle. The statement denounced the “stubbornness" of the president, the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), accusing them of ignoring the demands of political forces across the country and the interior ministry for continuing to use excessive violence against protesters. Egyptians are angry at the recent presidential decree issued by Morsi and they have called for revolution for change. Over the past two days, protesters have told Bikyamasr.com this “is similar to the beginning of the revolution," in reference to the early days of the 18 day battle that ultimately ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. It all began on Friday as thousands of Egyptians took to the central Tahrir Square to demand an end to Morsi's regime in much the same manner thousands came out on the first day of January 2011 uprising. One activist, alluding to the ultra-conservative takeover of the constitutional process, told Bikyamasr.com, “you cannot have an Islamic state if we don't have any food." They have vowed to remain in Tahrir until Morsi withdraws his decree and puts his priorities to the people.
