Former Egyptian MP, protester tries to reconcile Sisi and Muslim Brotherhood

A former Egyptian MP and Rabaa sit-in protestor has announced that he will present an initiative to reconcile Egyptian authorities with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has faced a fierce crackdown since the 2013 toppling of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohammed Morsi.

Mohamed al-Omda, a former parliamentary member of al-Watan Party who is not officially affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, said his bill will be an attempt to bring together the warring parties.

"A democratic climate must ensure the inclusion of all political factions and the release of all detainees including Morsi and Brotherhood leaders," Omda told Anadolu.

Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie was sentenced to life in prison on Saturday for his part in violence in Giza after Morsi’s overthrow.

Omda reportedly drafted his initiative while serving a year-long sentence in solitary confinement for taking part in violent protests.

He became a symbolic figure during the infamous August 2013 Rabaa sit-in, when hundreds of supporters of the toppled Muslim Brotherhood-led government were killed after a days-long occupation.

Omda said that the reconciliation is “flexible to amendment for the sake of consensus.”

He called on Muslim Brotherhood supporters to recognise President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government, which they reject, as a “transitional period.”

The initiative was welcomed by Islamic Da’wa, a leading Egyptian Salafist party, whose spokesperson welcomed “the initiative…and all solutions to the crisis.”

However, the head of al-Nour Party, a prominent Salafist party that sparked criticism when it chose to back Sisi in recent presidential elections, condemned the bid.

“The time has passed for an initiative that aims to restore the Muslim Brotherhood to the political sphere”, Younes Makhyoun said during a televised interview.

He accused the Brotherhood of organising protests that increase the level of violence on Egyptian streets.

Mohammed Soudan, foreign representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, told Middle East Eye that, though the initiative is well-intentioned, it will not be successful.

“He was very close to us, but he has never been a Muslim Brotherhood member.

“He has made a lot of demands on the authorities, first and foremost the freeing of all the prisoners. And they will not do it.”

“On Sunday morning they sentenced another six people to death, and another seven to life in prison. How does he expect them to take that back? They will never do it.”