June 30 will mark the anniversary of Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi’s inauguration. Demonstrations against the president – who critics accuse of sacrificing Egyptian political legitimacy and economic stability for the sake of promoting Islamism – are planned around the country. Counter-protests in support of the president, to be attended mostly by voters who support Morsi’s broadly Islamist agenda, are also planned. Observers fear violence:

Opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi are convinced that this is the best and perhaps the last opportunity to drive him from power… Morsi’s Islamist backers have vowed to defend the president with counter-demonstrations. Police have signaled they want to stay out of the conflict. The powerful military, widely suspected to be at odds with the president, is keeping its cards close to its chest. As a result, fears are high of potential violence on the day, the anniversary of Morsi’s 2012 inauguration as Egypt’s first freely elected leader.

Clashes between the two factions across Egypt have already left more than 100 injured, and both Morsi’s presidential palace and the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters have been reinforced. 

Meanwhile, Egypt’s tourism minister resigned in response to the appointment by Morsi of Adel al-Khayat to be governor of Luxor. Khayat an Islamist closely linked to a 1997 terrorist attack on tourists in Luxor, and his appointment as governor was taken as… insensitive:

Hesham Zazou said he “cannot continue in the role of tourism minister” a day after the appointment of Adel al-Khayat, a member of the political arm of ex-Islamic militant group Gamaa Islamiya, and other Islamist governors triggered unrest in several provinces. Gamaa Islamiya claimed responsibility for an attack on a major tourist attraction in the southern city of Luxor that killed 58 foreign tourists in 1997.

Prime Minister Hesham Qandil refused to accept Zazou’s resignation and asked him to remain in his post until the situation is reviewed, ministry spokeswoman Rasha al-Azaizy told the official MENA news agency. But she said Zazou insisted he would cease to work “as long as the new governor remains in his post, greatly harming tourism in Egypt generally and in Luxor specifically”.

Khayat was one of 17 governors appointed by Morsi to various regions around Egypt. Among the group were seven Muslim Brotherhood figures. Residents in many of the affected regions greeted the appointments with protests.

[Photo: Blueshade / Wiki Commons]