The Muslim Brotherhood announced that the SCAF has refused its proposal to form a new coalition government. Instead, the SCAF is insisting that current Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri’s cabinet remain in place for the duration of the transitional period.

1) Informed anonymous sources report that the SCAF and Muslim Brotherhood will most likely back presidential candidate Nabil Elaraby, head of the Arab League, in the upcoming election. The same sources say that the SCAF and Brotherhood strongly oppose rival candidates Amr Moussa and Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh. [al-Ahram, English, 2/17/2012]

2) The Muslim Brotherhood  announced that the SCAF has refused its proposal to form a new coalition government. Instead, the SCAF is insisting that current Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri’s cabinet remain in place for the duration of the transitional period. [al-Ahram, English, 2/17/2012]

3) Following the SCAF’s decision to hold the presidential election at the end of May, a month earlier than previously planned, major parties and political forces took different positions on whether the constitution should be drafted first or after the new president is an office. Islamist presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh called for a constitution first.  Meanwhile, presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi threatened to withdraw from the race if the constitution is rewritten to introduce a parliamentary (rather than a presidential) system, implying that he expects the constitutional process to conclude before the election. [al-Shorouk, Arabic, 2/16/2012] [The Daily News Egypt, English, 2/17/2012]

4) Essam al-Arian, a leading FJP MP and head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, reiterated a statement earlier this week warning that Egypt may review its 1979 peace deal with Israel if the United States cuts military aid. "We (Egypt) are a party (to the treaty) and we will be harmed so it is our right to review the matter," al-Arian told Reuters. "The aid was one of the commitments of the parties that signed the peace agreement so if there is a breach from one side it gives the right of review to the parties," he added. [al-Ahram, English, 2/17/2012]

5) The House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on Egypt on February 14 chaired by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), who urged Egyptian officials to drop charges against American employees of by US-funded NGOs and warned that failure to do so could "necessitate a reconsideration of US assistance." Expert witness Michele Dunne warned that Egypt’s economic crisis has been exacerbated by the SCAF’s mishandling of international assistance offers and its manipulation of the transitional process to promote the military’s own political interests.  [AFP, English, 2/16/2012]

6) Egypt’s ambassador to the United States, Sameh Shukri, dismissed talk of a crisis in US-Egypt relations. Shukri said the controversy over foreign-funded NGOs and indictment of several Americans  would not derail two countries’ longstanding “strategic relationship.” [al-Ahram, English, 2/17/2012]

Photo Credit: Scotsman

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