Merkel, Oppn urge Morsi for dialogue to end crisis in Egypt

President Mohamed Morsi flew to Germany to try to convince Europe of his democratic credentials, but in a sign of the political tensions back home, he restricted his trip to a few hours and cancelled a planned Paris leg.

“One thing that is important for us is that the line for dialogue is always open to all political forces in Egypt, that the different political forces can make their contribution, that human rights are adhered to in Egypt and that of course religious freedom can be experienced,” Merkel told Morsi at a joint news conference on Wednesday.

The Egyptian leader replied that dialogue was possible and that Egypt would be a state based on the rule of law, not run by the military.

But Morsi refused to give a commitment sought by the opposition to form a national unity government, saying that would be for the new parliament to decide after elections expected in April.

Opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei called for a meeting of the President, ministers, the ruling party and the opposition to halt the violence. But he also restated the precondition that Morsi first commit to seeking a national unity government.

Meanwhile, two more protesters were shot dead before dawn near Cairo’s central Tahrir Square on Wednesday, a day after the army chief warned that the state

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