AILY EWS MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013 N D ISSUE NO. 2190 NEWSTAND PRICE LE 4.00 EGYPT www.thedailynewsegypt.com Egypt’s Only Daily Independent Newspaper In English MENA COORDINATOR IN CAIRO A PASSIVE POWER RUNNIN’ ‘rOUND IN CAIRO White House coordinator for the Defence Minister Al-Sisi says the Cairo Runners’s half marathon Middle East, North Africa and the Armed Forces will not intervene in proved to be impressively Gulf Region Philip Gordon comes political affairs or begin policing organised, even while they ran in to Cairo 2 the streets 3 Egypt’s traffic-lawless streets 8 Central Bank receives $3bn Court to rule on Shura Council next month Qatari deposit for bonds The court said the verdict regarding the legality of the BONDS TO MATURE IN THREE YEARS WITH 3.5% INTEREST RATE Shura Council and Constituent Assembly, a case that began last year, will be announced on 2 June By Hend Kortam ing, forcing the court to suspend its activity. The Supreme Constitutional Court By the time the court reconvened will announce the verdict regarding the the new constitution had passed. status of the Shura Council on 2 June. The new constitution transfers full The case regarding the upper legislative authority to the Shura house of parliament had been re- Council until a new lower house, ferred to the State Commissioners renamed the House of Representa- Authority, an advisory panel of ex- tives, is elected. perts, to give its recommendations The constitution also bestows new since the status of the legislature has legislative powers on the council in changed after the adoption of the general, in addition to the ones it held constitution. during the transitional period. Several lawyers filed complaints The Commissioners Authority re- calling for the dissolution of the coun- port recommended the court should cil, arguing that the law its elections not dissolve the Shura Council since were based upon is unconstitutional. it is protected in the new constitu- The court had in June dissolved the tion and is entrusted with legislative People’s Assembly, the lower house, authority. leaving the Shura Council as the na- The Supreme Constitutional tion’s only legislature. It ruled the Court is also expected to announce elections law, which was the same for its verdict on the now-dissolved both houses, unconstitutional. Constituent Assembly which draft- DNE Photo The court was meant to rule on ed the constitution on 2 June, as The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) received a $3bn Qatari deposit for the purchase of Egyptian bonds on Thursday, confirmed Nidal Assar, the sub-governor of the CBE these cases on 2 December but Is- well as the constitutionality of the lamist supporters of President Mo- emergency law; several lawyers had By Lamia Nabil Thursday, confirmed Nidal Assar, the procedures to issue the bonds ised to buy Egyptian bonds follow- hamed Morsi besieged the building filed cases declaring the emergency the sub-governor of the CBE. to Qatar, which will mature in three ing a visit by Prime Minister Hes- and prevented judges from enter- law unconstitutional. The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Assar added that the Qatari de- years with an interest rate of rate ham Qandil to Doha in April. received a $3bn Qatari deposit for posit will remain at the CBE until of 3.5%. the purchase of Egyptian bonds on the Ministry of Finance prepares The Qatari government prom- Continued on page 7 Fatah, Hamas hold Tamarod collects over two million signatures reconciliation talks Rebellion campaign aims to collect 15 million signatures withdrawing confidence from Morsi by the first anniversary of his inauguration in Cairo Hamas’ foreign affairs spokesperson says the time has come for By Rana Muhammad Taha In the campaign’s first press con- Campaign members also called also dismissed the possibility of the ference, held on Sunday, its members on all opposition movements to military forcefully removing Morsi. Fatah and Hamas to take steps to create change on the ground Tamarod campaign announced on Sun- announced the two million signatures hold onto their initial decision to “Our campaign doesn’t call for a day it had collected 2,029,592 signatures were collected in 10 days alone. Cam- boycott the upcoming parliamen- military coup,” the Tamarod spokes- from Egyptians withdrawing confidence paign spokesperson Mahmoud Badr tary elections. person said. “We call on people to turn in Mohamed Morsi as president. said that the signatures proved the Badr also commented on Minister against the president and withdraw Tamarod, or “Rebellion”, is a peti- people have started to lose their con- of Defence Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi’s latest their confidence in him since he be- tion campaign that was launched in fidence in Morsi. statements. The defence minister said trayed his agreement with the people.” late April to gather signatures disap- “If you are confident about your on Saturday that the army was not the Meanwhile at Cairo University, proving of President Morsi. The cam- popularity, hold early presidential solution to the current political issues campaign members collecting signa- paign is also calling for early presiden- elections,” Badr said, addressing Presi- the country faces, and that it would tures were subjected to harassment tial elections. dent Morsi and his aides. not resort to policing the streets. He by alleged Muslim Brotherhood af- filiates. Mahmoud Hussein, campaign coordinator in Giza, said four cam- paign members were shortly held at a university security office after going to the security officials to complain about the harassment. Tamarod was launched two weeks ago by members of Kefaya. The cam- paign is aiming to collect 15 million signatures before 30 June, the day that will mark Morsi’s one year anniversary in power. Several opposition groups announced their solidarity with the campaign including the 6 April Youth Office / Hamas Press AFP Photo Movements, both the Democratic Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaa met and Ahmed Maher fronts. earlier in Cairo in January “Our campaign will succeed,” Badr said during the press conference. “On By Luiz Sanchez station, that Abbas is expected to hold Courtesy of Tamrod campaign Tamrod Courtesy of 30 June, we will be at the [presidential] various meetings with Hamas leaders, Tamarod campaign announced it had collected 2,029,592 signatures in a press conference on Sunday palace with 15 million signatures.” A delegation of Fatah and Hamas offi- starting on Sunday evening. cials are currently in Cairo holding talks Hamas and Fatah agreed to hold on reconciliation and the formation of talks on reconciliation in 2011 and Egyptian Stock Exchange a unified government for Palestine. The reached a deal in April that year. The Commentary head of Fatah’s delegation, Azzam Al- deal was made with the help of Egyp- 7.159 7.7009 Closing Daily Change Taher El Moataz Bellah writes: Ahmed, said that President Mahmoud tian diplomats, and stipulated that EGX 30 5,446.68 0.78% If the students are to regain their po- Abbas would meet President Mohamed elections to establish a unity govern- 6.9562 6.9863 sition as a player in national politics Morsi in the coming days, according to ment would be held within 12 months in a time marked by marginalisation state-owned Al-Ahram. of signing the new agreement. EGX 70 455.51 -0.11% 8.9663 9.5723 of youth from a patriarchal society, Abbas is expected to look to Morsi Both Fatah and Hamas ratified the they will have to regard themselves for help in the reconciliation effort, agreement the following year in Doha, 10.5799 11.3234 EGX 100 766.37 0.35% as the seed of the future Egyptian left because Egypt has been sponsoring Qatar, although no elections have the talks. been held as of yet. 1.848 1.8933 EGX 20 6,218.34 0.24% Page 5 Al-Ahmed reportedly told the Voice of Palestine, the Palestinian official radio Continued on page 2 2 DAILY NEWS EGYPT MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013 www.thedailynewsegypt.com Irrigation minister: Egypt not Foreign minister to participate opposed to Renaissance Dam By Luiz Sanchez tween Egypt and Ethiopia. In order in OIC meeting on Mali to deal with the issue surrounding Minister of Water Resources and Ir- the dam’s effects on downstream AMR WILL STRESS Egypt’s support FOR DEVELOPMENT IN MALI rigation Mohamed Bahaa ElDin said nations, an international panel of ex- on Saturday that Egypt does not op- perts (IPoE) was established to inves- sues and its commitment to support tional and regional support for the the Malian military staged a coup pose the establishment of develop- tigate the impact of the dam. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mo- African peace and security”. development process in Mali”. d’état, which was condemned by the ment projects or dams along the Nile The IPoE consists of ten experts hamed Kamel Amr travelled to Jed- The meeting in Jeddah will ad- Roshdy asserted that Amr would international community. Following River as long as it does not affect wa- from Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and dah on Sunday afternoon ahead of dress the issues raised in the Dec- take this opportunity to reiterate negotiations, Dioncounda Traoré as- ter distribution between countries. members of the international com- a ministerial group meeting of the laration on Mali that the OIC an- Egypt’s “support for the unity of sumed the presidency and pledged Bahaa ElDin’s statement, made dur- munity. It is expected to complete Organisation of Islamic Coopera- nounced in February. One of the Mali and its sovereign and territorial to fight the rebels in order to regain ing an interview on a state TV channel, the report this month, and Egypt has tion (OIC) on the situation in Mali main topics to be discussed is “the integrity”.