TEMPO.CO, Washington - The United States is calling on Egyptian authorities to release President Mohamed Morsi, including Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, from detention after being overthrown from power on July 3.
"An inclusive and sustainable democracy where all sectors of society, where all Egyptian people are fully represented, will represent all sides. And we feel that includes of course the Muslim Brotherhood and other representatives that have been detained," said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki last Saturday.
Psaki said the United States is still evaluating events in Egypt to determine whether President Morsi's removal was a coup, an important legal distinction that would affect more than US$1 billion of U.S. assistance to Egypt.
While Psaki would not say outright that the United States no longer considers him to be Egypt's rightful ruler, she did say that senior U.S. officials are already meeting with interim President Adly Mansour.
Psaki hopes this new government will be able to transition well. Mansour promises the next Egyptian elections will be held next year at the latest.
ALJAZEERA | VOA | HUFFINGTON POST | EKO ARI