Egypt protesters rally after carnage as vote scheduled
CAIRO: Egypt's interim leader vowed fresh elections by early next year as protesters prepared to rally Tuesday after dozens of ousted president Mohamed Morsi's loyalists died in clashes at a Cairo military barracks.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has led demonstrations against Wednesday's military overthrow of the leader, called for an "uprising" after accusing troops and police of "massacring" its supporters during dawn prayers on Monday.
"Each province is organising funerals and rallies (Tuesday), and each province will have a central sit-in," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad told.
Amid the widening chasm in the restive country, interim president Adly Mansour issued a decree setting a timetable for a referendum on an amended constitution and then for parliamentary elections.
The whole process will take no more than 210 days, according to the decree, meaning elections by early February at the latest.
Mansour will announce the date for presidential elections after the new parliament convenes, according to a draft of the 33-article decree published by the official MENA news agency.
The Brotherhood released the names of 42 people killed in the incident outside the elite Republican Guards' headquarters, as the interior ministry and military said two policemen and a soldier were also killed.
Emergency services chief Mohammed Sultan said at least 51 people were killed and 435 wounded.
The military blamed "terrorists", while witnesses, including Brotherhood supporters at the scene, said security forces fired warning shots and tear gas, and that "thugs" in civilian clothes carried out the shootings.
The United States called on the Egyptian army to exercise "maximum restraint", while also condemning "explicit" Brotherhood calls to violence.
