Egypt’s Secular, Islamist Opposition Urge Morsi to Accept Unity Govt

With violent public protests leading the head of Egypt’s Army to warn that the nation might be on the brink of collapse, opposition leaders across the political spectrum, including both secular parties and the Salafist blocs, are urging President Mohamed Morsi to accept a unity government.

Morsi has already rejected the proposal in the past, insisting he won’t be forming a coalition government of any type until after the parliamentary elections are held in April. He insists his interim government will remain in place until then.

Yet things may be changing, with the growth of protests in the economically vital cities along the Suez Canal. For the time being, however, Morsi seems more likely to try to placate the protesters without sharing power ahead of the vote.

To that end, Morsi has already announced that the curfew restrictions in protesting provinces are being softened, and could be cancelled outright in the coming days. The real test is likely to be Friday, after last weekend’s protests left scores dead and over 1,000 wounded.