US secretary of state John Kerry in Egypt to press for consensus

AS John Kerry landed in Cairo, protesters torched a police station in Port Said, reflecting the size of the task facing the US Secretary of State.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Cairo to push for a way out of Egypt's political impasse and its crippling economic crisis.

As Mr Kerry landed in Cairo from Turkey, protesters torched a police station in the canal city of Port Said, reflecting the size of the task facing the secretary of state in Egypt, which has been rocked by months of unrest.

The interior ministry said in a statement about 500 protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at the police station on Saturday, setting it on fire, and then blocked fire engines from approaching the blaze.

In the capital, Mr Kerry is due to hold talks with Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, as well as political parties, business leaders and civil society groups during his two-day visit which is part of a world tour.

"He is working to touch base with the government, with the military, with people involved in the new Egypt: the political leaders, NGO leaders, the business people," a US State Department official said.

Egypt has been deeply divided since Mr Morsi - the country's first post-revolution president - issued a now-repealed decree in November expanding his powers and paving the way for the adoption of an Islamist-drafted constitution.

The political turmoil has fuelled weeks of unrest and clashes that have left dozens dead.

Two leading dissidents, Mohamed ElBaradei and Hamdeen Sabahi of the opposition coalition National Salvation Front (NSF), said they would not be meeting with Mr Kerry, after Washington's call for them to reconsider a boycott of next month's parliamentary elections.

During the visit, Mr Kerry will stress the "importance of building consensus," a US State Department official said.

A political consensus would pave the way for a crucial loan from the International Monetary Fund, which in turn will unlock several pledges of aid for Egypt's battered economy.

Egyptian officials have said they will continue talks with the IMF on a much needed $US4.8 billion ($4.7 billion) loan, which has been delayed amid political unrest and might possibly be signed after a parliament is in place in July.