Egypt factions seek dialogue, condemn bloodshed

CAIRO: Rival factions in Egypt yesterday condemned the violence which has killed dozens in a week of unrest and pledged support for a national dialogue to resolve the political crisis gripping the country.
Top Islamic scholar Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb chaired talks between opposition heads, government supporters, youth groups, independents and church members at the headquarters of Al-Azhar.
They signed an Al-Azhar document vowing to support “a serious dialogue” and “condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence,” and stressing “the responsibility of the state and its security apparatus to protect citizens.”
“We come out of these talks with some sort of optimism” despite “the difficult challenges ahead,” former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, a leader of the opposition National Salvation Front (NSF), said.
“We will do whatever we can with goodwill to build the trust of the Egyptian people,” he told reporters.
Saad Al-Katatni, head of the Freedom and Justice Party of Muhammad Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood, stressed the need for compromise from all parties.
“There is no solution to the problems in our path for democracy without dialogue... Dialogue must have guarantees but no preconditions,” he said.
“All topics are up for discussion and all participants said they were ready for compromises,” Katatni told reporters.
It remained to be seen whether the Al-Azhar document would carry weight on the street, where clashes between protesters and police have killed dozens since rallies marking the second anniversary of Egypt’s uprising last week.
Opposition groups have already called for mass protests on Friday against Mursi.