A range of political forces are calling for mass protests on November 18 to demand a clear timetable for a transfer of power to civilian leadership and call for an end to military trials of civilians. Islamist presidential candidate Hazem Abu Saleh is backing the demonstration to demand that the military transfer power no later than April 2012.
PROTESTS:
A range of political forces are calling for mass protests on November 18 to demand a clear timetable for a transfer of power to civilian leadership and call for an end to military trials of civilians. Islamist presidential candidate Hazem Abu Saleh is backing the demonstration to demand that the military transfer power no later than April 2012. [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/4/2011] [Al-Youm al-Saba’a, Arabic, 11/4/2011]
ELECTIONS:
In a special briefing on U.S. support for democratic transitions, Special Coordinator for Middle East Transitions William Taylor said that the U.S. is not backing any particular political party in Egypt. “We don’t do party support. What we do is party training,” Taylor said, noting that “sometimes Islamist parties show up [at trainings]; sometimes they don’t.” [State Department, English, 11/4/2011] [Al-Masry al-Youm, Arabic, 11/4/2011]
Mohamed ElBaradei posted a video to his Facebook page urging youth to monitor the upcoming elections to prevent fraud and other irregularities. While acknowledged that “there are not the best circumstances to hold elections,” ElBaradei urged Egyptians to turn out at the polls in mass numbers. [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/4/2011]
CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE:
Al-Gama’a Al-Islamiya called on the SCAF to “repudiate” the constitutional principles issued by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Al-Selmi earlier this week, which Al-Selmi was forced to amend under heavy criticism from political forces and Islamists in particular. Al-Gamaa threatened to join mass protests planned for November 18 unless the SCAF retracts the document in its entirety. [Al-Youm al-Saba’a, Arabic, 11/4/2011]
PRISONERS PARDON:
The SCAF has pardoned 952 prisoners for the occasion of Eid al-Adha. A committee had previously been formed by the Interior Ministry’s prisons department to determine which inmates were eligible for pardons. [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/4/2011] [Al-Shorouk, Arabic, 11/4/2011]
FERRY FIRE:
One Jordanian passenger died while 1,246 passengers and crew members were evacuated from an Egyptian ferry on November 3 after a fire broke out on the vessel, which was sailing through the Red Sea en route to the Egyptian port, Nuweiba. [AP, English, 11/3/2011]
EGYPT-ISRAEL RELATIONS:
The Interior Minsitry announced that the Rafah border crossing into Gaza will be closed during the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday from November 5-9. [Al-Ahram, English, 11/4/2011]
Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr condemned Israel’s decision to speed up the construction of 2000 settlement housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem on November 4. Amr said the decision would obstruct the peace process and also constitutes “a provocation to the Palestinians.” [Al-Masry al-Youm, English, 11/4/2011]
ECONOMY:
An IMF delegation in Cairo has completed a review of the country’s finances but offered no details on the results of reported negotiations over a US $3 billion loan package. According to Ratna Sahay, head of the IMF’s Cairo mission, “Egypt’s medium-term economic potential is promising… However maintaining macroeconomic stability and social cohesion amidst modest short-term growth prospects and a weakening external environment remains challenging.” [Al-Ahram, English, 11/4/2011]
Egypt’s international reserves declined to $22.1 billion from $24 billion in September, the lowest level since December 2005, according to Central Bank data. [Bloomberg, English, 11/4/2011]
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