Mubarak loyalists accused of inciting unrest

Cairo: Islamist allies of President Mohammad Mursi have accused businessmen and former lawmakers from the Mubarak era of funding plans to spread chaos in the country in the run-up to anti-government protests due later this month.

“We have monitored a number of businessmen belonging to the former regime recruiting thugs to trigger chaos,” said Nasr Abdel Salam, the chief of the ultra-conservative Salafist Building and Development Party, at a press conference in Cairo Wednesday.

He named Farid Khamis, a business tycoon-cum-lawmaker in the Mubarak era and Yassin Mansur, an Egyptian businessman living in Britain, of being among the alleged financiers.

Several opposition groups have announced plans to stage massive protests across Egypt on June 30, which marks the first anniversary of Mursi’s presidency, demanding him to step down to clear the way for early presidential elections.

“Large money has been transferred from the Gulf, some through diplomatic pouches, to finance TV stations and newspapers owned by felul,” said Abdel Salam, using a derogatory term referring to holdovers of the Mubarak regime.

Abdel Salam singled out the CBC TV and Al Watan newspaper, owned by businessman Mohammad Al Min, as being among these media outlets. Both are sharp critics of Mursi and his allies.

Abdel Salam was speaking at the conference attended by leaders from 14 Islamist political parties, who claimed that Mubarak’s loyalists are also planning attacks on the presidential palace, the parliament, state institutions and public transport.

“This information has been reported to the agencies concerned to investigate them,” said Abdel Salam. There was no immediate comment from justice authorities.

Allies of Mursi, who hails from the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, have vowed to hold counter rallies, raising the possibility of violent clashes with opponents.

“We will sacrifice ourselves in defence of the brightest revolution Egypt has seen,” said Tareq Al Zamar, a leading jihadist, referring to a 2011 revolt that toppled Mubarak.

“One of the most important achievements of this revolution is free voting, which we will not allow be wasted. The ballot box is the only way to express the people’s will and replace the president,” Al Zumar told the same conference.

The police have pledged to stay away from sites of the June 30 demonstrations, saying their role will be limited to protect state institutions from potential subversive acts.

The opposition accuses Mursi, who is Egypt’s first democratically elected and Islamist president, of failing to fulfil the objectives of the revolution.

His Muslim Brotherhood group Wednesday unveiled a plan to hold a series of gatherings, starting Thursday, in support of Syria. “These activities will be launched as part of the group’s responsibilities towards the Syrian people,” said Mahmoud Hussain, the Brotherhood secretary general.

Opponents claim that the Brotherhood rallies aim at displaying support for Mursi ahead of the June 30 protests.