Second Statement: Egyptian Army Says It Won't Take Power...Yet

The Egyptian army says it will not take power after all if its warning of a 48-hour deadline is ignored by government and opposition.

But what will it do? Now the opposition has been given a real expectation that it can prod the army into action by continued demonstraton.

And the regime can conclude that with the army bluffing it can escalate repression.

And the country’s economic situation will continue to worsen.

And the parliamentary elections are tied up in court disputes, with the country basically having no functioning parliament.

In other words, while the army doesn’t want to take power, what will it do as conditions worsen?

And if it does nothing, Egypt will eventually  descend into real chaos.

So either the army will take over–directly or by appointing a new government (probably the latter)–or the Brotherhood will probably evolve into a dictatorship or the Brotherhood will lose the next election and leave power gracefully (hard to believe).

Meanwhile, opposition leaders rejoiced.

Tamarod spokesperson Mahmoud Badr welcomed the statement, according to the Egypt Independent:

“The army responding to the demands of the people crowns our movement,” he said, adding that Tamarod has embodied the will of the Egyptian people to demand early presidential elections.

In a statement Monday, Badr also said the movement is in no political dispute with anyone. “The army statement said our youth are the best in Egypt,” he said, calling for people to continue demonstrating until all demands are achieved, a year of perceived fascism by the Muslim Brotherhood is ended and the revolution is put back on track.

Mohamed Abdel Aziz, a campaign leader, added: “[President Mohamed] Morsy is no longer a president, we call on the masses to take to the streets and besiege [the] Qubba and Ettihadiya [presidential] palaces at 5 pm Tuesday.”

Today there is no government in Egypt.

Here is a list of a few July 2 protests from both sides:

Cairo

Static protests remain in Tahrir Square, outside the Presidential Palace at Itihadiya and at the Rabaa Al-Adaweya mosque in Nasr City. Further large demonstrations are likely at each of these locations on the evening of 2 July. Further protests are likely in the Moqqatam area of Cairo.

On 2 July marches will begin in the early evening in the following areas:

Shubra at Khalafawy Square then to Abu Wafya Bridge and Sekket al-Wayli en route to the Presidential Palace
Mattariya Square to Ter’et al-Gabal Street to the Presidential Palace
Masr W’al Sudan Street to the Presidential Palace
Nour Mosque in Abbassiya then to Roxy Square, and then from al-Tahra bridge to Qubba palace.

Alexandria

Static protests are in place at the Sidi Gaber train station and the Ibrahim mosque.

Two anti-regime marches are planned to begin in the Victoria and Kaed Ibrahim areas, heading to Sidi Gaber.

Two marches in support of the president are planned, one to begin from the Sidi Bishr Mosque east of the governorate, the other starting in the Bitash area west of the governorate.

Luxor

Jamaa al Islamiya is organising a march in Luxor beginning at 1900 from Abu Haggag Square around the main streets of the governorate and back to the starting point where they are planning to sit in.

Protests are likely in large towns in the Nile Delta, the cities on the Suez Canal and in large towns in Upper Egypt.  Jamaa Islamiya is organizing marches in 11 governorates tonight.