The Shura Council (the Upper House of the Egyptian Parliament) Monday dismissed a remark made in a TV interview by former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei. The remark was deemed offensive by MP Mohamed Khalifa.
Safwat el-Sherif, the Chairman of the Council, interrupted comments by the member and said: “This House worked very hand to change the Constitution in 2007. We cannot change history by talking about marginal issues like these.”
El-Sherif was provoked by a request made by another member Khaled Abou-Samra to discuss the demands by ElBaradei to amend the Constitution as an initial move for democratic change.
ElBaradei had said during his three-hour TV show Sunday night: “Safwat el-Sherif is the head of the Parties’ Committee and he is from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). It's an insult for me to ask him to license a party.”
“This remark was made by a person who is not a member of the Council,” said el-Sherif.
