The Supreme Electoral Commission rejected on Wednesday the establishment of Tamarod’s Arab Popular Movement political party and former Chief of Staff Sami Anan’s Masr al-Orouba political party, based on provisions within the political parties law.

POLITICS

Tamarod, Sami Anan political parties rejected
The Supreme Electoral Commission rejected on Wednesday the establishment of Tamarod’s Arab Popular Movement political party and former Chief of Staff Sami Anan’s Masr al-Orouba political party, based on provisions within the political parties law. The commission referred the two parties to the Supreme Administrative Court to decide on their legal status. Mohamed al-Nabawy, a leading Tamarod figure said their proposed party had no issue obtaining the power of attorney needed to form a party but faced challenges due to being primarily comprised of youth and lacking both funding and legal expertise necessary to form legitimate partisan bylaws. According to the commission there have been several legal technicalities and contradictions in the applications and documents presented by Tamarod movement to form its party. [DNE, Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, 12/3/2014]

Also of Interest
Political groups launch petition to try Mubarak and aides | Aswat Masriya, Ahram Gateway (Arabic)
Committee managing Brotherhood funds to implement NASL ruling | Ahram Gateway (Arabic)

COURTS

Prosecution reviews complaints against celebrities who criticized Mubarak, Sisi
Egypt’s General Prosecution decided Thursday to look into a complaint filed by a lawyer against movie star Khaled Abol Naga and singer Mohamed Attiya over charges of incitement against the military and involvement in unlicensed protests. According to Al Arabiya, the petition by lawyer Hesham Ibrahim accused Abol Naga of criticizing the military’s anti-terrorism operations in Sinai Peninsula and calling for protests against the government. It also accused Attiya of violating the protest law by taking part in protests at Cairo’s Abdel Moneim Riyad Square that condemned the acquittal of former president Hosni Mubarak of corruption and murder charges. Attiya is also accused of collaboration with foreign intelligence via human rights group. [Egypt Independent, 12/4/2014]

Abdel Fattah trial adjourned to December 11
The retrial of political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah and twenty-four others has been adjourned to December 11. Cairo Criminal Court on Thursday heard prosecution witnesses, including police personnel. Major General Hani Gerges, the former chief of Qasr al-Nil police station, said he saw the protesters throwing stones at police during the demonstration. However, other police witnesses said they could not recall exact details of protesters who allegedly attacked them. Meanwhile the defense, led by human rights lawyer and activist Khaled Ali, asked the judge to call more witnesses, including the head of the 50-person committee that wrote Egypt’s 2014 constitution Amr Moussa and committee members: Lawyers’ Syndicate head Sameh Ashour and film director Khaled Youssef. [Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, AMAY (Arabic), 12/4/2014]

Sisi issues decree forcibly retiring former prosecutor general and eight judges
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued three decrees on Thursday retiring the former prosecutor general and eight other judges, based on a ruling issued in September. The first decree was issued to retire former prosecutor general Talaat Abdallah, who served under ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Egypt’s Judges High Disciplinary Board ruled to refer Abdallah to retirement over charges of planting surveillance devices in the prosecutor’s office to spy on current Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat. The second related to Ahmed Yehia, the former head of the Cairo Appeals Court, accused of participating in pro-Morsi protests in Raba’a. The third and final decree related to seven judges from the Judges for Egypt movement, who were accused of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.  [Aswat Masriya (Arabic), AMAY (Arabic), 12/4/2014]

Also of Interest
Court rejects atheist appeal | Egypt Independent
Egypt rejects comments from international community on verdicts | SIS
Morsi Ittihadiya trial adjourned to December 9 | Aswat Masriya (Arabic), EGYNews (Arabic)
Twelve alleged Brotherhood members detained four days pending investigation in Minya | EGYNews (Arabic)
Cairo Appeals Court sets December 22 verdict for Shi’ite murders | EGYNews (Arabic), Aswat Masriya (Arabic)

ECONOMY

50,000 civilian workers affiliated with armed forces, number likely to increase
The current large projects underway in Egypt are being managed by civilian workers, not soldiers, as there are 50,000 civilian workers affiliated with the armed forces and this number is likely to increase, said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of Armed Forces projects in Cairo on Wednesday, he also called for the completion of twenty-seven overpasses, as well as the completion of the Suez Canal project, which is due to be finished on August 6, 2015. [Egypt Independent, SIS, 12/4/2014]

Also of Interest
Egypt stocks reach 4-week high as regional markets rebound | Ahram Online
Social financial allocations to be regularly paid for better services: Finance minister | DNE
Egypt’s Suez Canal revenue at $482.3 million in October | Reuters
Egypt to import six LNG cargoes from Algeria next year | Reuters
Growth in Egyptian business activity almost stalls in November: PMI | Reuters

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Rights group records twelve violations against journalists during Mubarak verdict protests
The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) has condemned the continuous violation against journalists saying it recorded twelve violations by security against journalists and photojournalists while covering dispersal of protests staged in Abdel Moneim Riyad Square on Saturday and Sunday. In a report issued on Monday, AFTE said these systematic practices against journalists and photojournalists come within policies adopted recently threatening freedom of journalism and breaching previous commitments toward protection of journalists. [Egypt Independent, 12/3/2014]

Draft law on ‘terrorist entities’ could silence civil society says rights group
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) has called upon President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Wednesday to reconsider approving the draft law detailing the offences necessary for a group or organization to be labelled a “terrorist entity.” In a statement issued on Wednesday, CIHRS said the draft law “a violation of the constitution, the Supreme Court’s authority, as well as a contradiction to the international treaties Egypt has signed.” The institution filed a report, citing different reasons for rejecting the law. “The law uses vague and mysterious terminology to define terrorist groups”, which opens the door to oppress opposition members or activists who are calling for change in civil society organizations, the statement said. [DNE, Ahram Online, 12/3/2014]

Also of Interest
Protests return to vicinity of Cabinet headquarters | Egypt Independent
Social solidarity ministry signed cooperation deal with social development units in Upper Egypt | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
Three students expelled at Minya University for inciting protests | EGYNews (Arabic)
Schools to resume in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid next Sunday | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)

SECURITY

Second phase of Rafah border evacuation starts
Military troops have started on Thursday warning residents in Rafah to leave during the second phase of evacuation of the Rafah border. Residents have started looking for alternative houses in Arish and Sheikh Zuweid cities, saying they received instructions from armed forces to clear another 500 meters away from the borderline, making the total evacuated area reach 1 kilometer. [Egypt Independent, 12/4/2014]

Also of Interest
Assailant killed during attack on Ismailiya military checkpoint | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya
Helwan Brigades member arrested | DNE
Two dead bodies found in Sheikh Zuweid Thursday | Egypt Independent, Aswat Masriya
Officer and conscript injured in attack on Beheira checkpoint | EGYNews (Arabic)

INTERNATIONAL

Egypt warns of promoting gender identity, sex orientation in UN policy
Egypt warned of attempts to list gender identity and sex orientation on the agenda of the United Nations, saying this contradicts with member countries’ commitments to a number of international agreements, especially those related to child rights protection and fighting discrimination against women. Issues related to family should be handled according to each member state traditions, laws, religious and cultural backgrounds, Egypt’s Permanent Delegate to the UN Amr Abul Atta said at a ceremony by the UN General Assembly on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family. He lamented some countries’ attempt to promote the ideas of gender identity and sexual orientation in resolutions related to family and child and impose them on other countries. [Egypt Independent, Shorouk (Arabic), 12/4/2014]

Also of Interest
Egypt, EU in terrorism talks | SIS
Sisi discusses mutual ties, militancy with Saudi intelligence head | Ahram Online
Egypt denies Israeli army patrol attacked along border | Ahram Online
Offers to study Ethiopia’s dam expected mid-December | Ahram Online
King Abdullah II calls on US to support Egypt against terrorism | Egypt Independent
UAE grants amnesty to nineteen imprisoned Egyptians | Ahram Gateway (Arabic), Shorouk (Arabic)
Prosecutor General signs legal cooperation memorandum with Bahrain | Shorouk (Arabic)