News Coverage Prepared For: the European Union Delegation to Egypt
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
News Coverage prepared for: The European Union delegation to Egypt . Disclaimer: “This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of authors of articles and under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of IPSOS or the European Union.” 1 . Thematic Headlines Domestic Scene Parliament Rejects MP’s Indirect Apology McCain: Tantawi Vowed to Resolve NGO Crisis Wafd Party to Support Moussa, Hassan for President Hamedeen El-Sabahy: Egypt Cannot Be an Islamic State Egyptian Interior Ministry Rejects Beard-Growing The Parliament Approves Transferring Mubarak to Tora Shura Elections Updates Reruns to Shura Council The Advisory Council Discusses the Consensual President and the Aqsa Issues The European Union Special Representative Defends Egyptian Sovereignty Abu al- Futouh: the Regime is Reluctant Al-Jamaah al-Islamiya: the Constitution is the Parliament Responsibility Amr Mussa: the Plot against the Presidential Elections Will Soon be Uncovered Suspects of Violence in Qena The Supreme Administrative Court Declares One Third of the Parliament Null MB and Salafists Might Withdraw Confidence from al-Ganzouri’s Government 2 Newspapers (21/2/2012) Page: 3 Author: Abi al-Marasi The Advisory Council Discusses the Consensual President and the Aqsa The Advisory Council is to discuss the management of the rest of the transitional period and the possibility of choosing a consensual president. The council is also to discuss the steps of forming the constituent commission that will draft the constitution. Egyptian interior issues apart, the council is also to discuss the ongoing Israeli attacks against the Aqsa Mosque in Palestine. 3 Page: 5 Author: Suad Tantawi and Rania Abd al-Ati Reruns to Shura Council Reruns to the Shura Council are to be held today in single-member constituencies in Luxor. The elections were canceled according to a court ruling. Runoffs of the second phase of elections to the Shura Council will start tomorrow in 12 governorates: Giza, Qalyoubiya, Buhairah, kafr al-Shaikh, Sharqiyah, Ismailiyah, Suez, port Said, beni Suef, Menia, Sohag and Aswan. 4 Page: 9 Author: Dina Kamal The European Union Special Representative Defends Egyptian Sovereignty The European representative for the Southern Mediterranean Bernardino Leon hailed the democratic change in Egypt and stated that no one has the right to give Egypt lessons. He stressed the European respect for the Egyptian independence and the independence of the judicial authorities. Bernardino also stated that the European aid program to Egypt would be executed soon. 5 Page: 1 Author: Muhammad Hamdi and Muhammad al-Samkouri Suspects of Violence in Qena 12 detainees were released in Qena. The detainees were arrested following riots in the city over the past few weeks. They were facing charges of murder and destruction of public facilities. Meanwhile, three suspects were detained. In another context, the Qena Criminal Court declared Hindawi al-Sayyid and Qirshi Abu al-Hajjaj innocent. The two were involved in the murder of seven people following Coptic Christmas mass in January 2009 in what was called the “Nagei Hammadi “massacre.” Six Copts and the soldier who was guarding the church were killed and nine other people were injured. 6 Page: 3 Author: Adel al-Darjali Abu al- Futouh: the Regime is Reluctant Potential Presidential Candidate Abd al-Munim Abu al-Futouh expressed his “concerns” about the High Presidential Elections Commission’s performance. He said the press conferee that the commission held before yesterday did not bring about any clear timeline for the presidential election. Abu al-Futouh accused the current ruling system in Egypt of Reluctance. Abu al-Futouh statements were in the course of his electoral conference in Buhairah. 7 Page: 3 Author: Muhsin Samikah and Yasser Shams Amr Mussa: the Plot against the Presidential Elections Will Soon be Uncovered Potential Presidential Candidate Amr Mussa considered the consensual president to be a “negative” president. He argued that a consensus might at many times mean “a deal” between some political players and parties. He said that the idea of a consensual president indicated an interference that would be clarified when the plot being drawn to fail the presidential elections is uncovered. Mussa told al-Masry al-Yom upon an electoral conference he held in Damanhour that as soon as he becomes president the Armed Forces will be back in their barracks. Clashes took place between Mussa’s supporters and other activists in Damanhour where Mussa met the bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Similar news was reported in al-Shurouk, p. 5 Dustour, p. 3 8 Page: 3 Author: Shaima al-Qerinshawi The Supreme Administrative Court Declares One Third of the Parliament Null The Supreme Administrative Court referred in a ruling yesterday a number of laws of the People’s Assembly to the Supreme Constitutional Council to examine their compatibility with the Constitution. The texts are suspected to be defective in issues related to elections of single member constituencies. The current laws permit independent candidates who belong to political parties to be nominated. According to the Constitution, one third of the current members of parliament are illegally there, and consequently one third of the Parliament is null. Similar news was reported in al-Shurouk, p. 1 9 Page: 4 Author: Munir Adib Al-Jamaah al-Islamiya: the Constitution is the Parliament Authority Dr. Tariq al-Zumur, member of al-Jamaah al-Islamiyah shura council said that the parliament was exclusively responsible for drafting the Constitution. Al-Zumur believes that no other authorities, including the judiciary, have the right to draft it. Similar news was reported in al-Shurouk, p. 1 10 Page: 4 Author: Hamdi Dabsh and others MB and Salafists Might Withdraw Confidence from al-Ganzouri’s Government Well informed sources at the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party told al- Masry al-Yom that the Freedom and Justice Party and Salafist al-Nour Party were intending to withdraw the confidence from al-Ganzouri’s government in case the Ganzouri’s communiqué that will be presented in the Parliament on Sunday did not satisfy the parliament members. The Freedom and Justice Party is ready with a coalition government to replace al- Ganzouri’s government. 11 Pages: 1, 14. Authors: Fathi Al-Serawi, Mohamed El-Toukhi (and others). Mubarak Stands before Civilian Court Not Military One Cairo’s Criminal Court listened for three hours for the arguments of the Public Prosecution and civil rights lawyers which responded to the pleading of the defense team of former president Hosni Mubarak, his two sons Alaa and Gamal, former minister of interior Habib Al-Adli, six security officials, and fugitive businessman Hussein Salem. The prosecution confirmed that all the arguments presented by the defendants’ lawyers are fabrications and they all reflect a lack of understanding of the criminal law. They said some civil rights lawyers attacked the course of investigations because of the relation of the Public Prosecutor with the old regime; however, the trial proved that the prosecution has done their job properly. In their argument, the prosecutors said that the right of assembly and peaceful protests is provided by Article 54 of the constitution before SCAF disables this article by issuing Decree No. 21. According to them, facts and witnesses confirmed that the crowds of protesters took off to the streets in peaceful protests, including all the victims who were killed by the police, and they used their constitutional and legal rights to present their legitimate demands to the former regime. They have not committed any crimes nor prevented authorities from carrying out their responsibilities, thus attacking and killing them is a crime. The session also included examining other crimes directed against the defendants including misuse of powers and wasting public funds. Similar news was reported in: Al-Shorouk: Pages 1, 8; Youm 7: 1, 4; Al-Masry Al-Youm: 1, 6; Al- Akhbar: 6, 7; Al-Dostour: Page 1. 12 Page: 3. Author: Intessar Al-Nemr. Ibrahim: Police is a National Establishment, Reform will Begin Minister of Interior General Mohamed Ibrahim declared that a committee, headed by first assistant of the minister, was formed to begin restructuring the ministry. The minister denounced the term “purging the Ministry of Interior” as he confirmed that the MOI is a national establishment which proved to have many achievements and any officer who failed to perform his work was excluded. The minister demanded all those who have documents, which indict any of the policemen, to present them immediately to the prosecution in order to take necessary legal measures against them, if proven true. These statements were given during a meeting for the minister with policemen of the security directorates in Assiut, Sohag and Al-Wadi Al-Jadeed, as he was inspecting work there. 13 Page: 1 Author: Israa Hamed Hamedeen El-Sabahy: Egypt Cannot Be an Islamic State Presidential potential candidate, Hamdeen El-Sabahy, stated that the country is in dire need of transferring power to an elected civilian authority pointing out that Egypt cannot be transformed to a religious or a secular country but a democratic and civilian state. He stated that the French regime is the best for Egypt, where there are powers related to the president and others for his vice president. Similar news was reported in Shorouk page 5 14 Page: 1. Author: Amira Gad. MB Leaders Permitted to Invest in Stock Exchange After nearly a year since MB leaders, Hassan Malek and Khairat Al-Shater, were acquitted from false charges over which they were imprisoned, the Public Prosecutor decided to allow them to put their money in stock market. Misr Al-Maqasa, and all brokerage firms, received a letter from the Public Prosecutor that acquits them from all charges and permits them the right to dispose of their money.