Beblawi: State of emergency may extend for 2 more months

Emergency Law could be extended for more two months, Egypt’s transitional Prime Minster Hazem al-Beblawi told privately owned daily Al-Masry Al-Youm on Wednesday.

Egypt has been in the state of emergency since August 14 when security forces forcibly dispersed sit-ins  in support of ousted President Mohamed Morsi at Rabea al-Adaweya and Nahda Square. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured, and in response Muslim Brotherhood supporters set police stations and churches on fire nationwide.

Emergency Law gives the authorities the right to arrest people without an order from the prosecution.

With demands from civil society and human rights lawyers to lift the state of emergency, Beblawi said that it is “exceptional and must be used in limited circumstances, and we expected to implement it for one month.”

“But at the end of the day the assassination attempt of Mohamed Ibrahim, the minister of interior, last Thursday made a certain change which will make the presidency think about extending the state of emergency for two months as the maximum to implement it in the interim constitution is only three,” he said.

And asked whether reported reconciliation talks with the Brotherhood figures are progressing positively or not, Beblawi said the terms of reconciliation are not good, as the government has not seen real acceptance from Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party toward it.

“I see that we’re dealing with a desperate party that could be acting irrationally, but we expect to see some moderate voices coming from among their ranks and these could start the talks,” he said.

“The reconciliation targets Islamist figures who are not charged in criminal cases, and I confirm that no peaceful faction will be suspended,” Beblawi added.