Top News: Salafi Nour Party Expects 20 Percent of Seats in Parliament

In an interview with Aswat Masriya, Younis Makhioun, the head of Egypt’s Salafist Nour Party, said he expects his party to win the same percentage of parliamentary seats – twenty percent – as it did in 2012. 

POLITICS

Salafi Nour Party expects 20 percent of seats in parliament
In an interview with Aswat Masriya, Younis Makhioun, the head of Egypt’s Salafist Nour Party, said he expects his party to win the same percentage of parliamentary seats – twenty percent – as it did in 2012. The Nour party won the second largest number of seats in 2012 after the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. Despite what some consider a decline in the popularity of Egyptian Islamists, Makhioun insisted that his party has maintained support in the face of a ‘negative image’ prompted by mistakes made by the Brotherhood. Makhioun also called the parliamentary elections law ‘flawed,’ adding that his party will join other parties in pressuring for its amendment. [Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, 6/10/2014]

Sisi accepts resignation of Mansour advisors
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi accepted the resignation of advisors to former interim president Adly Mansour. Sisi asked Primed Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, who will remain in office, to form a new government on Monday after the resignation of Mansour advisors. The advisors who resigned were: Judge Ali Awad, presidential adviser for legal affairs; Sakina Fouad, presidential adviser for women’s affairs; Mohamed Rafaat Shehata, presidential adviser for security affairs; Essam Heggy, presidential adviser for scientific affairs; Mostafa Hegazy, presidential adviser for political affairs and Ahmed al-Muslimany, presidential adviser for media affairs. The official spokesperson for the presidency, Ambassador Ehab Badawy, will remain in his post. Sisi added on Monday that he will not allow ‘parallel leadership’ to challenge the state’s jurisdiction, calling on institutions to fight corruption and invoking a social contract between the president and his people. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, Aswat Masriya, SIS, 6/10/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • As Mansour leaves office, poll shows most Egyptians happy with his presidency | Mada Masr
  • Sisi receives IPU President | SIS

COURTS

NCW to file lawsuit against Al Jazeera for verbal abuse of Egyptian women
The state-affiliated National Council for Women (NCW) announced it plans to file a lawsuit against Qatari-owned news channel, Al Jazeera, for its depiction of Egyptian woman, and what it described as their verbal abuse. The announcement came on Monday, as the NCW also condemned the mass sexual assaults that had taken place in Tahrir on the occasion President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s inauguration on Sunday. The NCW vowed to provide legal support to women who are victims of sexual abuse, in addition to forming a committee dedicated to investigation incidents of harassment. [EGYNews (Arabic), 6/10/2014]

Court releases officer accused of Sayed Belal murder pending retrial
Alexandria’s criminal court ordered on Monday the release of Mohamed al-Sheimy, one of three police officers accused of torturing Sayed Belal to death during investigations into a bomb attack at the Two Saints Church in the Mediterranean city in 2011. Sheimy’s release comes after he completed the maximum time for provisional detention. The decision on Monday follows a ruling by Cairo’s cassation court, which approved an appeal filed by the defendant challenging last year’s court verdict sentencing Sheimy to fifteen years in prison. The court also ordered his retrial. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, 6/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

ECONOMY

Sisi unveils economic plan
President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has promised to work on boosting the economy by developing industry and agriculture and attracting direct investments, he said in his inaugural speech from the Itihadiya Palace. During his speech, Sisi called on businessmen to contribute to revitalizing the economy in the coming period. He pledged the state will provide the “appropriate climate” for attracting investments. Sisi also met with Central Bank governor Hisham Ramez on Monday to discuss the bank’s monetary policies, increasing the country’s foreign currency reserves and stabilizing the pound’s exchange rate. [DNE, SIS, 6/9/2014]

Egypt extends 5 percent supplementary tax to companies
Egypt extended a 5 percent supplementary tax to include companies as well as wealthy individuals, drawing a mixed response from businesses on Monday as it seeks ways to boost flagging state revenues under a new president. [Reuters, 6/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Industry ministry to finalize law encouraging production, protection of domestic products | DNE
  • Real estate owners call amended real estate tax ‘defective’| DNE
  • On first Egypt visit, IFC head says investors await clarity, commitment from government | Egypt Independent
  • Egypt’s annual urban inflation hits 8.3 percent in May: CAPMAS | Ahram Online, Egypt Independent
  • Egypt’s finance minister does not rule out return to IMF | Egypt Independent
  • Egypt annual consumer inflation slows to 8.2 percent in May | Reuters
  • Council of Arab Economic Unity honors Sisi and Mansour | Shorouk
  • Egyptian regulator says Beltone, Sawiris bid for EFG stake incomplete | Reuters

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Sisi tells interior minister to fight sexual harassment as Tahrir mass assault is investigated
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has asked Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim to combat the country’s sexual assault epidemic after a YouTube video emerged showing a woman stripped and attacked by a mob of men in Tahrir. Security forces arrested seven suspects and prosecutors have ordered the detention of six men for four days pending investigations into allegations of sexual assault in Tahrir Square.  It is not clear whether those arrested took part in the assault captured on video. Two of the men admitted beating a woman, while five denied any wrongdoing and said the women had provoked them, judicial sources said. Meanwhile, Aswat Masriya reports that the interior minister will honor a police officer for his role in protecting the woman whose assault was captured on video, based on a recommendation from the presidency. According to a group of civil society organizations, at least 500 Egyptians have been victims of sexual violence since February 2011 and until January 2014. [Ahram Online, Reuters, AP, 6/10/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Egyptian National Archive requests 2014 Election Documents | Ahram Online
  • Egypt to destroy illegal buildings along Nile to help farmers | Reuters
  • Sexual assaults shock public opinion | Shorouk (Arabic)
  • Ministry of Endowment warns political figures against using mosques for political purposes | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
  • EOHR expresses concern over deteriorating health of detainees on hunger strike | DNE
  • Hunger striking detainee Soltan’s condition worsening | Mada Masr, Shorouk (Arabic), AMAY (Arabic)
  • NGOs call for investigation into alleged violations in Wadi al-Natrun Prison | DNE
  • NCHR blames MOI for its failure to visit prisoners | Mada Masr, Egypt Independent
  • Rights groups demand inquiry into Wadi al-Natrun violence | Mada Masr

SECURITY

Egypt puts Sinai’s al-Arish port under military control
Egypt has transferred the assets of the al-Arish port in the Sinai Peninsula from a civilian-run agency to the armed forces, citing national security reasons in an area where militant attacks have increased in the past year. The decision was made last week by then-interim President Adly Mansour but only announced on Monday, a day after former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as the new head of state. [Reuters, Aswat Masriya (Arabic), 6/9/2014]

INTERNATIONAL

African Union Election Observation Missions releases preliminary report
In a statement on Monday, the African Union’s Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) criticized the electoral climate in Egypt’s recent presidential elections, saying that while the elections “allowed willing voters to effectively participate in the process,” the elections were conducted in a space of limited freedoms. The AUEOM has said that the lead up to the elections was marred by the issuing of the protest law, which resulted in a crackdown on public protests, activists and journalists. Nevertheless, the AUEOM praised several aspects of the elections, including what it called the “remarkably high levels of participation” of women and the “peaceful” polling environment. The AUEOM provided several recommendations for future elections to the Egyptian government, such as providing civic education and pursuing inclusivity. [DNE, 6/10/2014]

Ethiopia FM invites Sisi to Addis Ababa for dam talks
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom has invited Egypt’s newly-inaugurated President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to visit his country, Al-Ahram reported. A spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, Ehab Badawy, said that Sisi stressed the deep, historical bonds between the two countries and insisted that the issue concerning Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam “should be solved through dialogue.” Sisi said that Egypt understands Ethiopia’s needs for development and thus Ethiopia should understand Egypt’s needs to its share of the Nile. Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s ambassador in Egypt, Mahmoud Dardeer, has stressed that his country is serious about starting a new round of negotiations with Egypt over the dam. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, DNE, 6/10/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Sisi: Egypt has full concept for cooperation with Africa | SIS
  • Egyptian gas to Jordan was never cut off: Egyptian Ambassador to Jordan | DNE
  • Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch say Sisi “faces rights crisis” | Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, Ahram Online, Shorouk (Arabic)
  • Saudi Cabinet congratulates Sisi, stresses firm support to Egypt | SIS
  • State Department says US to continue to work with Egypt on several issues | SIS, State Dept Press Briefings, EGYNews (Arabic)
  • FM meets Ethiopia, Angola, Tanzania counterpart | SIS
  • Arab League ready to contribute to ‘Friends of Egypt’ Conference | SIS
  • FM meets US envoy to Libya | SIS
  • Industry Minister: Government keen on developing relations with China | SIS
  • Sisi meets Arab leaders after inauguration | DNE