FRI 29 - 3 - 2024
 
Date: Mar 29, 2011
Source: The Daily Star
Egypt to lift emergency law for September vote
Mubarak not permitted to leave country, ruling council says, while nightly curfew eased

Tuesday, March 29, 2011


CAIRO: Egypt will hold parliamentary elections in September and the decades-long state of emergency will be lifted before the polls, the military rulers announced Monday.
The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces also said that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and his family are not allowed to leave the country. The military denied reports that Mubarak had left to Saudi Arabia, adding: “He and his family are subject to forced residency in Egypt.”


The council also approved a law easing restrictions on political party formation. In another move to lighten restrictions, it reduced the nightly curfew to three hours, from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.
“It is a challenge for the new forces that came up as a result of the revolution,” said Mustapha al-Sayyid, a political scientist, referring to the timetable for elections. “This period is relatively short for these parties.”


Many secular reform groups have been calling on the military, which has governed since Mubarak was deposed on Feb. 11, to extend the transitional period to allow political life to recover from decades of oppression.


“Parliamentary elections will be in September,” said Mamdouh Shaheen, a member of the ruling military council. A date for a presidential election, which will follow the legislative polls, had yet to be set, he added in a news conference.
The elections are major milestones on the path that has been set by the military in a transition that will end with the army relinquishing power to a civilian, elected government.


“The time is short but we will work with all our capacities to take part,” said Abou Elela Mady, leader of the recently licensed Wasat Party (Center Party). “It doesn’t give us a full opportunity but it’s a good start.”
The Islamist group and other reformists are discussing the idea of entering the legislative election in an alliance to produce a “revolutionary majority” that will take the lead in drafting a new constitution.


The military council said the state of emergency which has been in force since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 would also be lifted before any elections were held.
“We have said before that parliamentary or presidential polls will not be held while emergency law is still in force,” Shaheen said.

 

The military council also approved a law that will ease restrictions on the formation of political parties.
Under the new law, Shaheen said new parties would need the approval of 5,000 members from at least 10 of Egypt’s 29 provinces, increasing the number of signatures from 1,000 outlined in a draft law approved by Cabinet last week.


The new order gives citizens the right to establish parties by notifying a newly established judicial committee. The party would be recognized 30 days after sending the notification, if the committee has not issued objections.
Under Mubarak, parties needed approval of the Committee of Parties affiliated to the Shura Council, dominated by his National Democratic Party. Dozens of requests for new parties were rejected over the years.


There are limitations. A text of the amendments published by the official MENA news agency said parties “cannot base their principles, program or activity, or choice of leaders and members on religion, class, or sect.”
Another amendment scraps the Committee of Parties.


The Brotherhood is one of the groups expected to now begin steps toward forming a political party.
Hossam Tamam, a researcher in Islamic movements, said that the Muslim Brotherhood can easily get around the restriction by eliminating articles in its political agenda which ban women and Copts from running.
Tamam said that the restriction appears to be aimed at fundamentalist Islamic groups like the Salafi movement from running.
A plethora of new parties are expected to apply for an official license.


“The September date is not too soon,” said Amr Hashem of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. “The argument that parties will need more time to prepare is wanting. Parties will need years, not months, so any delay we are talking about now is not going to make that much of a difference,” he said.


On the diplomatic level, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf visited Southern Sudan Monday. Paul Mayom Akech, Southern Sudan’s minister for water and irrigation, said electricity, education and health projects were discussed. Southern Sudan and Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding. – Agencies


 



 
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