A Muslim Brotherhood-led alliance today said it is ready for a national dialogue to end Egypt's political standoff, for the first time not formally demanding the nation's toppled Islamist president return to power.
The country's military-backed government, however, signaled no intention to start talks with supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Underscoring that, judges also suggested today that the government disband the Brotherhood's political party.
The call by the alliance of Islamist groups is the first formal proposition by Morsi supporters, who have organized near-daily protests demanding his return to office since he was removed in a popularly supported military coup July 3.
Mohammed Bishr, a leading member of the Brotherhood, told reporters the proposition calls for the release of detainees arrested after the ouster of Morsi. The coalition also asked for the end of security crackdown on Brotherhood members and its allies, as well as the reopening of television channels supporting them.
"We are keen on the country's stability and to get out of the economic crunch," Bishr said.
The coalition said its call is directed to other national political forces, as well as the military and the interim government it supports. The coalition offered a two-week period for them to discuss the proposal.
While the proposal offered Saturday doesn't call for Morsi's return to the presidency, it insists on basing a solution on "constitutional legitimacy." The group didn't elaborate.
A spokesman for the Brotherhood and its political party said one way of restoring constitutional legitimacy is to re-install Morsi briefly, so he can call for new elections or name a new prime minister. The spokesman spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to journalists about the proposal.
It's unclear how the coalition proposal would fit into a military-backed plan already in place for returning Egypt to democracy. That plan calls for a referendum by the end of the year on changes to the Islamist-drafted constitution. That would be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections by summer.
Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa told The Associated Press that Morsi supporters should accept the military-backed plan first as a starting point for talks.
