The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) is to issue a new constitutional declaration, or revive an amended version the 1971 constitution, specifying the new president’s powers, before polls open Wednesday, according to a military source.
ELECTIONS
Brotherhood MPs accuse SCAF of backing Shafiq, warn of tampering with votes [Egypt Independent, English, 5/16/12]
In its third consecutive session, Parliament has again attacked candidates competing in the presidential election, with parliamentarians from the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party accusing the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of backing Ahmed Shafiq. They warned of adding illegally names of army and police personnel, who are banned from participating in the election, to voter registration lists. MP Mohamed al-Adl claimed that there are large-scale attempts by the National Security Agency and cadres of the dissolved National Democratic Party to back a certain presidential candidate who had once said he would not allow the Muslim Brotherhood to rule the country. Leftist presidential candidate Abul Ezz al-Hariry claimed that rigging already took place in certain Egyptian embassies in the Gulf, and called for a parliamentary committee to monitor the voting. Shafiq’s presidential campaign on Wednesday denied reports by Reuters that he was using former offices of the dissolved National Democratic Party.
Abu Ismail to support Abouel Fotouh [Egypt Independent, English, 5/17/12]
Safwat Barakat, a supporter of Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Salafi preacher who was excluded from the presidential election, said the former candidate will announce his support for Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh on Saturday. He also said Abu Ismail made the decision after meeting with his advisers and others who he declined to name. Ayman Elias, a supporter of Abu Ismail, said Abu Ismail believes Abouel Fotouh is most closely aligned with the Islamic project, while Mohamed al-Halabawy, Abu Ismail’s electronic campaign manager, said that his supporters are not obligated to follow his decision.
Egypt’s 6th of April starts election monitoring campaign [Bikya Masr, English, 5/17/12]
Egypt’s April 6th Youth Movement declared on Wednesday they are starting a campaign under the slogan “The eyes of Egypt 2012,” to monitor the presidential elections scheduled for May 23 and 24. It said it was “monitoring the Egyptian presidential Elections 2012 in order to document all violations through images and writing reports, for there are such violations on a regular basis,” according to a statement of the movement. Ingie Hamdi, a member of the political bureau of the Movement and responsible for the campaign, said that it aims to monitor the presidential elections, despite the obstacles set by the Higher Presidential Elections Committee. The Movement urged citizens and political activists to “participate in the campaign and to send all documented violations to the site of the campaign for documentation.”
GOVERNMENT
SCAF to issue new constitutional declaration [Ahram Online, English, 5/17/12]
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) is to issue a new constitutional declaration, or revive an amended version the 1971 constitution, specifying the new president’s powers, before polls open Wednesday, according to a military source. SCAF members discussed the move with political party representatives at a meeting Tuesday. The Muslim Brotherhood disapproved of the move, while the Salafi Nour party supported it. Independent MP Wahid Abdel-Meguid said a meeting of political parties scheduled for Wednesday at the liberal Wafd Party’s premises was cancelled because Wafd Party leader El-Sayed El-Badawi preferred to wait until the SCAF’s new temporary constitution was officially published in the state-run Al-Gareeda Al-Rasmeya newspaper. Saad El-Katatni, speaker of People’s Assembly, announced on Wednesday that all assembly activities would be temporarily suspended until 26 May, two days after Egypt’s first post-Mubarak presidential polls.
Court finds 14 policemen not guilty of revolution murder charges [Egypt Independent, English, 5/17/12]
The Cairo Criminal Court cleared on Thursday 14 suspects accused of killing protesters outside the Shubra and Marg police stations on 28 January 2011, commonly known as the "Friday of Anger." The Public Prosecution referred 12 policemen from Marg Police Station to court on charges of killing two protesters and attempting to kill a third. It also charged two other policemen in the deaths of two protesters and attempted murder of a third outside Shubra Police Station. Various criminal courts have acquitted police officers from the Hadayek al-Kobba, Sayeda Zeinab and Salam police departments on similar charges.
ECONOMY
Domestic Trade Ministry blames Petroleum Ministry for fuel crisis [Egypt Independent, English, 5/17/12]
Social Solidarity and Domestic Trade Minister Gouda Abdel Khaleq held a conference Thursday morning to discuss the fuel crisis. Abdel Khaleq stressed in a statement issued by his ministry the need to declare a state of emergency to monitor the markets. Sources said that the Domestic Trade Ministry called on the Petroleum Ministry more than once to increase the quantities of fuel on the market after the former detected a shortage. When Al-Masry Al-Youm visited gas stations in Cairo and Giza, taxi drivers said they have been standing in queues for two to three hours waiting for gas, accusing the Cabinet and the military junta of failing to solve the crisis.
Photo Credit: Reuters
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