CAIRO: There will be conflict. It's early morning on Tuesday in Egypt's capital, Cairo, and a eery mood pervades over much of downtown. What is usually a quick-paced, fast-moving capital city has turned to an almost ghost town, where only a handful of residents have taken to the streets. After President Mohamed Morsi's spokesperson on Monday evening told the country that the controversial presidential decree that granted the president power above the rule of law would remain in place, and a planned massive demonstration in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, conflict is expected. “I hope it is not violent, but here in Egypt, we know that when we hope for something, the opposite happens,” said mother of two Rania Saleh, who spoke to Bikyamasr.com as she was buying bottles of water to take home. “It's just in case. We don't want to run out of water,” she said. Across downtown, the mood is one of frustration, as residents have already reported a number of water cuts, which could add to the tension. After Monday, when spokesman spokesman Yasser Ali said that Morsi's controversial decree issued last Thursday would not be subject to modification, noting that the decree may have been “misunderstood” by the public, expectations for compromise and an end to the impasse are low. “I doubt this will get solved and we will have to stay here and fight for our country,” one activist told Bikyamasr.com early Tuesday morning, as he waited for the crowds to come over the next 10 hours. The decree, issued by the presidency on Thursday night, has seen massive outrage by Egypt's political opposition, who have repeatedly described it as an “attack on democracy,” a “threat to judicial independence” and a push towards dictatorship. Last Friday, tens of thousands of Egyptians took to Tahrir to protest against Morsi. Clashes erupted on Qasr el-Aini and Mohamed Mahmoud street. Elsewhere across the country, supporters of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have clashed with anti-Morsi protesters. At least three people have died in the violence, which many fear is heading toward even greater civil strife if the president and opposition leaders do not come together and reach an agreement. 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. Once more, Egyptians are heading toward revolution, but this time the country appears split on which direction to take, and Tuesday may well be one of the most important days in modern Egypt.
