A group of legal experts have called for limiting the presidential power to declare a state of emergency, saying the judiciary should oversee such declarations. The call was among a list of recommendations set forward during a Sunday conference, organized by the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Legal Profession. The conference, attended by 200 judges and lawyers, focused on establishing and protecting the independence of judicial authorities in Egypt’s new constitution, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported on Tuesday.
The votes are still being counted, but the names of the hundred people nominated to draft Egypt’s next constitution have been announced. Since Parliament decided to appoint half the members from within its ranks, the list is dominated by Islamists, as expected. Thirty-six of the 50 MPs come from parliamentary blocs of either the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party or the Salafi-oriented Nour Party. But what about the other 50 members and their affiliations?
Several hundred Ultras Ahlawy members, Ahly club's hardcore football fans, embarked on an open-ended sit-in starting Sunday in front of the People's Assembly demanding retribution for the Port Said football disaster that saw over 74 Ahly fans killed by groups who appeared to be rioting Masry supporters.
The head of the Illicit Gains Authority on Sunday called on the media to be accurate about the presumed wealth of former President Hosni Mubarak and other officials from his regime. “The media claims they have billions abroad whereas this is not true, at least from what we know so far,†said Assem al-Gohary, the authority head.
The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting Egypt's post-January 25 Revolution constitution will be held Wednesday to prepare the main guidelines of its business in the coming weeks. The meeting, which will be headed by speaker of the People's Assembly Saad El-Katatni, will elect a chairman and two deputies and divide the assembly into committees, to each one of which will be entrusted with drafting a certain chapter of the constitution, and clarify the procedures necessary to reach consensus on a final draft.
Egypt's military leader Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi issued a written statement via the official state news agency MENA Sunday afternoon in which he dismissed Muslim Brotherhood claims that presidential elections would be rigged.
Ain Shams Misdemeanors Court in Cairo ruled a verdict Saturday sentencing current Cairo Governor Abdel-Qawi Khalifa to six months in prison for not abiding by a previous court order to settle a land-squatting issue with a citizen from the rural district of Ezbet Kheirallah. The court sentenced Khalifa to six months imprisonment and ordered him to issue an ownership contract for Sabry Mostafa, resident of Ezbet Kheirallah, who had squatted a piece of land in the impoverished neighbourhood some years ago.
Parliament members from the Free Egyptians Party, the Revolution Continues Coalition, and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party abandoned talks Saturday about the selection of the 100 members of a constituent assembly that will draft a new constitution. The members backed out of a session, held at the Cairo International Conference by the Shura Council and the People's Assembly, during which representatives discussed the selection process for the members.
Ahly players are frustrated by what they consider lenient sanctions against Masry as punishment for the Port Said stadium disaster that left more than 74 dead and hundreds injured. Late Friday night Port Said Masry fans tried to storm administration buildings, which lead to clashes with the army.
A group demanding the cancellation of Egypt's debts has issued a statement condemning the interim government's proposals for reforming the economy. The Popular Campaign to Drop Egypt’s Debts (PCDED) claims new plans aimed at cutting the country's public debt ignore longheld demands for social justice and will actually increase poverty in rural areas.
The campaign for the leftist presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabbahi said on Saturday that it has obtained endorsements from more than 30,000 people, adding that it will reveal the total number of signatures soon. In a statement, the campaign said that all the figures published about the number of signatures Sabbahi has supporting his nomination are inaccurate. It said it will announce the correct number within days, adding that the total number exceeds 30,000.
The Alliance of Egyptian Revolutionaries is calling for a demonstration on Friday in front of Egypt’s Supreme Court in Cairo’s downtown district to protest what they describe as the “farcical†rules set by parliament for choosing members of the constituent assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution. The alliance, which consists of several revolutionary youth movements, is also preparing to hold protest marches on Saturday to the International Conference Hall in Nasr City on the capital’s outskirts.
Dozens of low-ranking police officers staged a protest outside the Interior Ministry Thursday to demand higher salaries, promotions, relocations to districts outside of where they live and the cancelation of military trials of police officers. “I have been working for the police department for many years, I was promoted, but I and my colleagues have a lot of other rights, like higher salaries, promotions based on equality and not nepotism, relocation to other districts, and not facing military trials,†said low-ranking police officer Hamdy Mohamed.
Egypt’s second fuel crisis of 2012 is rumbling on with motorists queuing to fill their tanks as officials give varied explanations for the latest supply shortages. Bad weather, panic-buying, profiteering and a lack of trust in the government have all been blamed for the crisis, which began 10 days ago and has seen Egyptians struggle to find sufficient fuel for their vehicles.
Islamist presidential hopeful Mohamed Selim al-Awa on Wednesday accused a “rival†of offering money for signatures in support of him to tarnish his reputation ahead of the presidential election. In a phone interview on the privately owned Dream TV channel, Awa said that his rival, who he refused to name, campaigned for him in and around Cairo in cars with loudspeakers and offered LE50 for people to sign in support of his candidacy.
Thirty of the 50 seats allotted to members of Parliament in the constituent assembly that will write Egypt’s new constitution will go to Freedom and Justice Party MPs, and 10 to the Nour Party, according to an agreement in principle between the two leading parties. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, from the FJP, said Wednesday that the final agreement would be announced on Saturday.
The Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Office will meet Friday to discuss potential presidential candidates, a senior member has told Ahram Online. The move comes amid growing pressure from its youth wing to back Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, who was expelled from the group in June when he announced his intention to stand for president.
The Port Said disaster is included in the agenda of FIFA’s executive committee meeting, scheduled for 29 and 30 March in Zurich, the world governing body said on its official website on Wednesday. More than 70 supporters were killed and hundreds injured when thousands of Masry’s fans invaded the pitch of Port Said stadium following a 3-1 win over Ahly in an Egyptian Premier League game on the first of February.
The European Union will continue to freeze the assets of former President Hosni Mubarak, his family and other former officials although Egypt has thus far been unsuccessful in recovering funds siphoned abroad by the regime. The Illicit Gains Authority (IGA), the judicial committee responsible for recovering the money, on Wednesday received an official notification from the European Union, confirming its freeze on the assets would be renewed another year as of 19 March, state-run MENA news service reported on Wednesday.
Egypt is facing a fuel crisis for the second time in 2012 as petrol supplies dry up and long queues of automobiles snake from the country's petrol stations causing traffic problems in surrounding streets. All types of petrol – 80, 90, 92 and the more expensive 95 – are reportedly in short supply. Some petrol stations have resorted to setting a 20-litre limit on all fuel purchases.
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H.H. Pope Tawadros Congratulates the Coptic People for Easter
H.H. Pope Tawadros Congratulates the Coptic People for Easter
