CAIRO — The Muslim Brotherhood said Thursday it had proposed through an EU go-between a framework for talks to resolve Egypt's political crisis, its first formal announcement of an offer for negotiations since President Mohamed Morsi was toppled. Brotherhood official Gehad El-Haddad, who represented the movement in previous EU-facilitated talks, told Reuters the proposal had been made to envoy Bernardino Leon before a visit by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton. Leon confirmed he had offered the European Union's “good offices” to help resolve the crisis, although he said the term “mediator” exaggerated the role. The proposal, as described by Haddad, was still in its early stages. He did not give details, described it as only a “framework” for opening a channel of dialogue, and insisted on the Brotherhood's firm demand that the July 3 “coup” that brought down Morsi be reversed. He also said it was not clear who would represent the opposite side: the military that removed Morsi or politicians. “We need a third side. It's not even clear who the third side would be. Is it the army? The NSF?” he said, referring to the National Salvation Front made up of political groups that oppose Morsi. Haddad later said the Brotherhood's proposal had been made in response to a request by the EU for information about what would be required to start talks: “They requested the meeting to understand our position. We never close the door to dialogue, and thus we answered.” Leon, who spoke by telephone on board his flight back to Brussels from Cairo, declined to go into details of any proposals he had received but said he believed the sides were growing more open to talks. “It is too early to talk about initiatives. We have just listened to the parties and to what are their positions and any possible room for openness to support. We believe that this should be an ... Egyptian dialogue and no foreign actors,” Bernadino said. — Reuters
