The interim government announced that presidential elections would be held before parliamentary elections, though no date was set for either. Mansour issued the decision after consultations with various political groups. It is widely expected that current Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will run for president, and Sami Anan, the deputy head of the military government that ruled Egypt after Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, is also believed to be mulling a run.
Militants attacked a bus full of soldiers in Sinai, killing either three or four and wounding about a dozen others. The assailants reportedly opened fire on the bus from a sport-utility vehicle, then drove off. Interim President Adly Mansour went on television to condemn the attack, saying that “terrorist attacks aim at breaking the will of Egyptians” but that “the will of Egyptians will not break.”
The Ministry of Religious Endowments issued new guidelines for preachers in mosques in an attempt to unify Friday sermons in mosques across the country. The ministry will issue a monthly document with topics for each week, and more detailed guidance will be provided each week in advance of the Friday sermon. The ministry also announced their intention to prosecute officials in local mosques who do not follow the guidelines.
Members of the April 6 movement mourned the death of one of their own, Sayed Abdalla, who was killed during protests on Saturday. Abdalla, who also used the name Sayed Wezza, was a longtime member of the group and was well-known in activist circles. Wezza was shot in the chest during clashes downtown on the anniversary of the January 25 uprising. Dozens of members of April 6 members came out to the funeral, with many chanting against “police violence and military rule” and calling for “the downfall of the regime.” At various points, funeral marchers ceased chanting to preclude further clashes during the procession.