In a video aired by Al Jazeera on Sunday, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Vice President Essam al-Erian has called for dialogue on condition that those “who led the coup” admit their wrong doings and reinstate deposed President Mohamed Morsi.
GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION
FJP deputy sets conditions for dialogue; Presidential advisor to meet with former MB members
In a video aired by Al Jazeera on Sunday, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Vice President Essam al-Erian has called for dialogue on condition that those “who led the coup” admit their wrong doings and reinstate deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Speaking from an undisclosed location, Erian also said dialogue can only follow the release of all of the group’s detainees and the prosecution of those responsible for killing the group’s supporters. Meanwhile, presidential media advisor Ahmed al-Muslimany said on Sunday that he will meet with twenty young former members of the Muslim Brotherhood this week. An informed source told Al-Ahram that the meeting will also be attended by a number of former leading Brotherhood members including lawyer Tharwat al-Kharbawi, former member of parliament Mokhtar Nouh, former Brotherhood spokesman in Europe Kamal al-Helbawi, and journalist Abdel-Galil al-Sharnoubi. Meanwhile, Army spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali denied allegations made by the FJP’s online portal that a SCAF member had met Morsi’s bureau manager Ahmed Abdel Atty. [Mada Masr, Ahram Online, DNE, 9/29/2013]
Egypt’s transition period to end next spring; Presidential elections may be held next summer
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Nabil Fahmy announced that Egypt’s transitional phase will end by Spring 2014.The interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, who addressed the UNGA on Saturday, stressed that the mass protests against former President Mohamed Morsi on June 30 “showed the world that the will of the people cannot be broken… that it can grant authority, just as it can remove it from the hands of those who can abuse it.” He said the country’s roadmap has cemented justice, freedom and democracy as fundamentals for governance, adding whoever tries to hinder the roadmap through terrorism will be thwarted. He also met with representatives of several nations as well as representatives of various international organizations. Meanwhile, presidential adviser Mostafa Hegazy said parliamentary elections will likely be held by the beginning of next year, with presidential elections possibly taking place as soon as summer 2014. [DNE, Reuters, AP, Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, SIS, 9/29/2013]
Also of Interest:
‘Revolutionaries’ call for student protests against ‘security intervention’ | Ahram Online
El-Beblawi government is a failure: Association for Victims of the Muslim Brotherhood Regime | DNE
Coordination with military required to publish info on army: Spokesman Ahram Online
Tamarod considers creating political party | Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr
Armed Forces hand out foodstuffs in poor areas | SIS
President open to idea of holding presidential elections before parliamentary polls: Adviser | SIS
COURTS & CONSTITUTION
Egypt’s constitution begins to take shape as power brokers negotiate
Mohamed Salmawy, media spokesman for the constituent assembly said that a special committee, including military and civilian figures, has been formed to review articles related to the regulation of the armed forces in Egypt’s new post-June 30 constitution. Military representatives Generals Mohamed al-Assar and Mamdouh Shahin met with an undisclosed number of Constituent Assembly members for four hours on Saturday night at the Shura Council headquarters. The closed meeting, according to Al-Ahram, aimed to convince the assembly members to keep the army-related articles (military trials and appointment of the defense minister), in the ten-judge-committee’s draft without amendment. On Sunday, the committee approved the allocation of 25 percent of its municipalities’ seats to women and another 25 percent to youth. Meanwhile, Mohamed Badran, assistant rapporteur of the constitution drafting committee, said that they have completed drafting the articles pertaining to the president and removed the vice president post from the draft, adding that the new system of governance would be a mix between the president and the prime minister. Amr al-Shobaky, head of the subcommittee for the system of governance, that by the end of this week, his committee will reach a comprehensive vision on the status of the three main authorities — executive, legislative and judicial — for the amended constitution. Finally, the Salafi Nour Party, on Friday rejected proposed changes to the constitution that would outlaw parties founded on religious grounds, saying, “We reject the return of Mubarak’s exclusionary constitutional article.” [DNE, SIS, Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, Egypt Independent, Reuters, 9/30/2013]
Egypt extends Canadians’ detention by forty-five days: Lawyer
Egyptian prosecutors on Sunday extended by forty-five days the detention of two Canadians on hunger strike more than a month after their arrest during nationwide unrest, their lawyer said. Filmmaker John Greyson and doctor Tarek Loubani will remain in custody until prosecutors re-examine their case after the forty-five-day period, and decide whether to extend their detention again or free them, Marwa Farouk said. The pair, who were transiting Egypt on their way to the neighboring Gaza Strip when arrested, have not been formally charged. In a joint letter the Canadians said they were “slapped, beaten, ridiculed” by police after their arrest and accused of being “foreign mercenaries.” [Ahram Online, DNE, Reuters, AP, 9/29/2013]
Also of Interest:
Abu Deraa military trial postponed to Wednesday | DNE
Court summons Mubarak’s doctor who leaked recordings | Ahram Online
President and ministers sued for attempted deportation of over 500 Syrian refugees | DNE
Egypt court upholds jail term for Morsi’s prime minister | Reuters, Aswat Masriya
Military spokesman denies negotiations on release of ousted president | SIS
ECONOMY
Egypt received $7 billion of $12 billion Gulf aid, seeks more assistance
Egypt has received $7 billion out of the $12 billion in aid pledged by Gulf countries, its central bank governor, Hisham Ramez, said on Sunday, adding that he expected further support from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.The UAE had deposited $2 billion with Egypt’s central bank and provided a $1 billion loan to the country. A further $4 billion had arrived from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, $2 billion from each donor. Egypt is in talks about further financial assistance from the GCC with Ramez saying he expected that oil-rich Gulf nations would provide more aid and, more importantly, that Egypt’s economy and financial markets would stabilize. “Yes, I see more support from them,” he said, referring to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, but added, “We can’t keep depending on this (aid).” [The National, Ahram Online, Reuters, 9/29/2013]
Firms pulling out of Egypt
In Egypt, the withdrawal of up to fifty companies including Adidas and Puma has left 12,000 people out of employment as political uncertainty continues to grip the country. This follows a pattern of withdrawals from North Africa since the power vacuum resulting from the Arab Spring has opened the way of internal conflicts within countries in the region. A Turkish textile firm is planning to pull out of Egypt by the end of the year due to the lack of stability in the nation. Although events seem to have calmed as of late, the turbulence in the Egyptian markets continues as the political crisis scares away foreign investors. Japanese motor companies Toyota and Suzuki are also planning to withdraw. [World Bulletin, 9/28/2013]
Also of Interest:
OPEC to help finance new power station in Egypt: Minister | Ahram Online, SIS
Egyptian bourse slides once more on profit-taking | Ahram Online
Pay up or dry up: Egyptian gas at a crossroads | Ahram Online
Court upholds ruling against privatization of Tanta Flax and Oil Company | Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, Mada Masr
Tourism minister compensates those affected by downturn of tourism in Luxor and Aswan | Egypt Independent
Presidential decree to legalize status of 1,500 agricultural companies | SIS
French tourists start reservations for visiting Egypt | SIS
Minister: Egypt to develop seventy-one level crossings beginning next week | SIS
EGP 8.816 billion in electronic payments made in monthly taxes and customs duties payments | DNE
Electricity Minister: Power project between Egypt, Saudi Arabia to start in October | SIS
Private sector rejects minimum wage | Egypt Independent
Financial measures to secure the cost of minimum wage application | SIS
SOCIETY & MEDIA
Egyptian students clash as Morsi turmoil spreads to campuses
Rival groups of students, some armed with guns and Molotov cocktails, clashed in Egypt on Sunday, state media and security sources said. At least twenty-nine people were wounded in fighting between groups for and against the ousted Islamist leader at least three campuses. With clashes since the beginning of the new academic year, about a hundred students were arrested nationwide, including eighteen from Cairo University. Cairo University’s Student Union Council will submit a request for the release of arrested students on Monday to the prosecutor-general, signed by University President Gaber Nassar. Meanwhile, students at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science announced on Thursday that they are temporarily suspending the sit-in they started earlier this week. The faculty’s student union said in a short statement on Thursday the “sit-in is suspended for two days because of the weekend and so that the female students can go back to their governorates.” The union vowed to continue the sit-in which it said will take on “a different form, “involving escalatory steps.” [Reuters, Ahram Online, DNE, 9/30/2013]
Fact-finding committees formed to investigate post-Morsi violence
Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) formed four fact-finding committees on Saturday to look into human rights violations that have occurred since the violent dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo last month. The first committee will investigate the dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-ins on 14 August. This committee includes international law professor and legal expert Ahmed Abou al-Wafa, Head of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Hafez Abou Saadi, and human rights lawyer Ragia Omran. A second committee will look into the attack on a police station in the Giza district of Kerdasa on August 14. This committee is composed of renowned political activist Shahenda Maklad, veteran activist George Ishak, former Muslim Brotherhood leader Mokhtar Nouh, General Coordinator of the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services Kamal Abbas, Brotherhood member Mohamed Abdel-Qodous and Coptic scholar Samir Morcos. A third committee, concerned with attacks on places of worship, includes human rights activist Manal al-Teibi, Brotherhood member Abdel-Kodous, and media expert Yasser Abdel-Aziz. A fourth committee has been formed to investigate the August 18 Abou Zaabal prison incident, in which thirty-eight Morsi loyalists reportedly suffocated to death in a police vehicle. Members of this committee are Hafez Abou Saada, Ragia Omran, Samir Morcos, Shahenda Maklad and Salah Salam. [Ahram Online, 9/28/2013]
Also of Interest:
Education minister bans army songs in Egypt schools: Source | Ahram Online
Egyptian activist Asmaa Mahfouz deported from Kuwait | Ahram Online
Fourteen of 1100 trains resume after month-long shutdown | Ahram Online
Clashes in Alexandria, Mansoura after pro-Morsi rallies | Ahram Online
ECESR begins sit-ins | DNE
Initiative to support women equality through film | Aswat Masriya
ElBaradei warns against ‘fascist’ media campaign in Egypt | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, AP, Mada Masr
April 6 co-founder defends ElBaradei against ‘fascist’ media attacks | Ahram Online
Amnesty International demands Abu Deraa’s ‘immediate and unconditional’ release | DNE
Journalists to protest Abu Deraa military trial Sunday | Egypt Independent
Rights debate reflects blurred lines in Egypt | AP
SECURITY
Violence continues in Sinai, Suez, Port Said and Minya
In Sinai, gunmen killed two policemen and a soldier on Monday, officials said, in the latest attack to hit the volatile peninsula. The assailants ambushed the policemen on their way to work in the provincial capital of Arish, wounding a third officer and speeding away by car, a security official said. Gunmen also attacked army checkpoints in the city and nearby town of Sheikh Zuweid, wounding a total of five soldiers and a civilian, a military official said. One of the wounded soldiers later died in a military hospital, he added. At least four people, three police conscripts and one civilian, were also killed on Monday when unknown gunmen attacked a police station in Arish, security sources said. A sniper shot dead an Egyptian soldier in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday while he was on guard at a security checkpoint in the town of al-Qusayma, while unidentified gunmen shot dead an Egyptian policeman on Friday in Arish. The son of well-known resistance leader Sheikh Hassan Khalf was killed Friday in Sheikh Zuweid by a stray bullet during a campaign waged by Egypt’s army against militants in the Sinai. Egypt’s official news agency MENA said gunmen opened fire on the Arish post office late Sunday, wounding a 14-year-old girl. Two roadside bombs targeting army vehicles exploded on the main road to Arish, it also reported, but there were no casualties.Islamist militants also released a video of an August drive-by shooting of an army colonel. In Port Said, unknown assailants killed a man and injured two early on Saturday in an attack that targeted a policeman, who is in critical condition. Unidentified gunmen shot at the car transporting the General Bishop of Upper Egypt’s Minya governorate on Monday. The Bishop and the driver were both unharmed. An explosive body went off in the Canal city of Suez on Saturday near a church and a bank, but resulted in no casualties, leaving two mildly wounded. Meanwhile, Egyptian security forces diffused an explosive device placed under a car belonging to a police officer in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut, Al-Ahram reported. [Aswat Masriya, AP, Ahram Online, Reuters, 9/30/2013]
Also of Interest:
At least eight more detained in Kerdasa | DNE
Mastermind behind attack on Kerdasa police station reportedly arrested | Ahram Online
Five injured in Alexandria clashes – medical source | Aswat Masriya
Scuffles between two rival marches in Giza’s Warraq | Aswat Masriya
Interior Minister: Security performance rates up 78 percent in 2013 | SIS
REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Egyptian border restrictions take toll on Gaza Strip: UN
Around three hundred tunnels that were used to smuggle goods and arms from Egypt across the border to the Gaza Strip are no longer in operation, according to a report issued by a UN body. Maher Abu Sabha, the director of crossings in the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, called Sunday for the opening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on a regular basis. Abu Sabha said in a press conference that the four hours during which the Egyptian authorities open the crossing are not sufficient for the passage of travelers. Tight restrictions by Egyptian authorities at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip provoked protests at the crossing on Sunday. Hundreds of Palestinian students stormed the Gazan side of the Rafah border. Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities re-opened the Rafah border crossing on Saturday for humanitarian cases after agreeing to resume the operation of the crossing until September 30. [AP, Ahram Online, SIS, 9/29/2013]
Egyptian ambassador recalled from Tunisia for consultation
A well-informed source said on Saturday that the Egyptian government has recalled its ambassador in Tunis for consultation. The move comes after Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki called for the release of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi during Tunisia speech at the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Marzouki also used Egypt in his address as an example to prove that creating democracy and civil institutions was “replete with difficulties.” The ambassador praised the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) for also recalling its ambassador to Tunisia in protest of calls by Marzouki to release Morsi. [DNE, Ahram Online, SIS, 9/29/2013]
Also of Interest:
EU envoy Ashton to visit Egypt Tuesday, again | Ahram Online
Danish ambassador expresses understanding of situation in Egypt | SIS
Minister of Higher Education and Deputy PM meets EU ambassador to Egypt in Cairo | SIS
Tourism Minister: Twelve countries lift travel ban for Egypt | SIS
Minister of Finance and acting American ambassador discuss business | DNE
President Mansour holds talks with Gulf leaders | SIS
FM attends Concordia Summit in New York | SIS
Ethiopian FM: We reject harming Egypt’s water rights | SIS