African News Agency : Welcome

Cairo, 6 Dec - (ANA) - The Egyptian army has deployed tanks and armoured troop carriers outside the presidential palace in Cairo after clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi left five dead and hundreds injured. But, despite their presence, there are reports of a fresh outbreak of stone-throwing between the two sides. Egypt is seeing growing unrest over a controversial draft constitution. The government insists that a referendum will go ahead this month. Supporters of Mr Morsi yesterday responded to a call to rally outside the presidential palace, in the suburb of Heliopolis. The mainly secular opponents of the president were already staging a sit-in protest there, after tens of thousands of them besieged the palace on Tuesday. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown and there were reports of gunfire as Morsi supporters dismantled some of the tents set up by their opponents. The Brotherhood later called on all sides to "withdraw at the same time and pledge not to return there given the symbolism of the palace". Disorder was also reported in other cities, with Muslim Brotherhood offices attacked in Ismailia and Suez. In a joint news conference, Mohamed ElBaradei, Amr Moussa and other leading figures of the opposition National Rescue Front said they held Mr Morsi fully responsible for the violence.

"Our opinion was, and still is, that we are ready for dialogue if the constitutional decree is cancelled ... and the referendum on this constitution is postponed," said Mr ElBaradei. "The revolution did not happen for this. It happened for freedom, democracy and human dignity. "Morsi must listen to the people, whose voice is loud and clear. There is no legitimacy in excluding the majority of the people," he said.(ANA)