Army move against Mursi ‘legitimate’ — Egypt envoy

Egypt’s UN ambassador in Geneva, Wafaa Bassim, summoned reporters to her country’s UN mission to spread the message that the “second revolution” on July 3 was justified by ousted President Muhammad Mursi’s failure to listen to the Egyptian people.
“What we are trying to do is send a message of reassurance,” Bassim said.
The Egyptian ambassador said the military’s toppling of Mursi was “legitimate” despite his presidential election win on June 30, 2012.
Bassim emphasized in particular that the military had installed only a transitional government, and only to end the popular unrest.
Bassim said the military-backed government’s transition plan should take no more than “eight to nine months” to complete.
“They are totally apolitical, not interfering in whatever process is taking place. They are just there to protect the country,” she said of the military’s role.
Her remarks came as senior US diplomat Bill Burns urged Egypt’s divided factions to engage in dialogue and end violence.
Burns also condemned a fortnight of deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula, but said the situation in Syria would not be repeated in Egypt.
The visit by the under secretary of state is the first to Egypt by a senior US official since the military toppled Mursi.
Burns was speaking after holding talks with army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President Adly Mansour and caretaker Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi.
The new planning minister said aid from Arab states would carry Egypt through its transition period, and it does not need to restart negotiations with the IMF now.
“The time is not appropriate to begin new negotiations with the IMF,” Ashraf Al-Arabi, a US-educated economist. said in Cairo.
“Arab aid will enable Egypt to get through the transitional stage in a good way.”