Egypt to reveal new "vision" for Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam project at tripartite talks on 24 August

Tripartite discussions between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the future of Ethiopia’s planned Grand Renaissance Dam project are due to be held in Khartoum on 24 August.

The project has been a source of concern for the Egyptian government since May 2013, when images of the dam’s construction stirred public anxiety about the possible effect on Egypt’s potable water supply.

Ethiopia, however, maintains that Egypt’s water share will not be negatively affected by the successful completion of the project, set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam.

In what has been viewed as a demanding and interfering move within Ethiopia, Egypt’s Irrigation Minister, Hossam El-Moghazi, told Mehwar TV that Egypt has a new “vision” regarding Ethiopia’s planned Grand Renaissance Dam project, which it hopes to reach terms on at the 24 August talks in the Sudanese capital.

In a telephone interview, El-Moghazi said the Egyptian delegation will head to Khartoum for two days of discussions on the Grand Renaissance Dam project, regional water security and defense.

“Egypt has a new vision, that will not affect Egypt’s water share, and we are expecting that the other party responds to it,” said El-Moghazi.

The talks are expected to develop the seven main points that Egypt’s President, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, previously discussed during a meeting in late June – among them fostering dialogue and cooperation between the two countries as well as regional projects to meet the growing demand for water. 

Resuming the work of the tripartite technical committee and respecting international legal principles were also among the points on which both sides had reached common ground. The committee's discussions were originally halted last December when Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, announced his support for the dam during a meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn.

Meanwhile, El-Moghazi said that Egyptian satellite images have revealed that construction has not yet begun on the part of the dam which will reserve the Nile’s water. Regardless, Egypt has demanded that Ethiopia submits the dam’s construction plans for assessment by international experts, prompting anger from within Ethiopia at Egypt’s perceived interference in Ethiopian domestic affairs.

Ethiopian Irrigation Minister, Alamayo Tegno, responded that his country was already committed to the recommendations of an international committee of experts and stressed that Egypt’s water share would not be negatively affected by the completion of the Grand Renaissance Dam.

For expert analysis of Egypt's security, politics, economy, and business environment see Egypt Politics & Security or contact info@menas.co.uk

© 2014 Menas Associates

Egypt: American energy worker killed in apparent carjacking near Cairo

An American employee of Texas-based energy company Apache Corp has been killed in an apparent carjacking in the western Egyptian desert, officials said on 10 August.

"The victim was a long-time employee who works with production operations and we are deeply saddened by his death," Apache spokesman Bill Mintz said. "Apache is working with authorities and a full investigation is underway."

Mintz stated that the attack occurred on Wednesday 6 August as the employee was driving in the desert between Qarun and Karama, southwest of Cairo, although the exact details of the attack are still uncertain.

It has been confirmed that the Apache employee died as the result of gunshot wounds. Egyptian security officials have, however, stated that the worker's body was found in a car on a road outside Cairo with another foreigner who had been working with the Egyptian government-owned company Qarun Petroleum. 

Mintz said he was receiving conflicting information about whether the Apache worker was alone or accompanied by someone else but confirmed that the Apache employee was the only victim who had been shot. It does, however, remain unclear as to whether or not this means the American was the only casualty.

Egyptian security officials, who asked for anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, said that investigations were ongoing to determine who was responsible for the 6 August attack. 

The victim's name was not immediately released as family members were still being notified and the nationality of the alleged survivor has not been disclosed while investigations continue. 

For expert analysis of Egypt's security, politics, economy, and business environment see Egypt Politics & Security or contact info@menas.co.uk

© 2014 Menas Associates

Preparations for parliamentary elections begin in Egypt

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree on Tuesday 15 July creating an electoral commission to oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections. This is in keeping with his statement last month indicating that the procedures for parliamentary elections, the first step of which is the appointment of an electoral commission, would take place before 18 July.

The commission will be formed of the head of the Court of Appeals and the eldest members of the Court of Cassation. Its formation indicates that we should expect to hear an announcement regarding the timing of elections in the next week or two. 

The vote is still expected to be held in mid to late-September, as the government is keen on completing a full transition to an elected government and it is very likely that several draft laws are being held up until a parliament is in place to approve them.

In a development that could have a significant impact on the shape of the next parliament, the Cairo Court of Appeals has overturned a ban placed on members of the now defunct National Democratic Party (NDP), which had been headed by former president Hosni Mubarak, from participating in political life. 

The new ruling means that any former NDP member of parliament may run again in the next election cycle (those convicted of crimes in the last three years will still be banned from running), and it is particularly significant given that the new parliamentary electoral law, which has been heavily criticised by the country’s political parties, heavily favours individual candidate districts.

Former members of parliament will now find it easier to run in the constituencies they had once held, as they will not be required to join a political party (most of whom have shunned former NDP members) to compete in individual districts. 

It should be noted that while previous bans failed to prevent many NDP members from running in the 2011 parliamentary elections, they performed poorly against Muslim Brotherhood candidates, who have been banned from taking part in political life.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2014 Menas Associates

US-Egypt: strain in relations?

The US has yet to officially extend an invitation to President El-Sisi following his inauguration on 8 June, including for a US-Africa Leaders’ Summit set to take place on 5-6 August. Although President Barack Obama has called El-Sisi to congratulate him on his electoral victory, his call came days after most countries had already extended their congratulations.

Illustrating the strain in relations between the two countries, a proposed Senate foreign aid bill would cut aid to Egypt by US$400 million (Egypt currently receives approximately US$1.5 billion in annual military and economic aid). While many Western states continue to harbour reservations towards the politics of Egypt’s new leadership, we do expect that as President El-Sisi’s administration settles into office, a slow rapprochement will begin to take place.

In our visit to Washington DC last week, it is clear that there is an element of discomfort about Egypt and its seemingly one-sided political process, heavy-handed judiciary and a lack of institution building. It seems to be perceived in several institutions in Washington that Egypt’s authorities do not really care about these concerns, knowing that the US government will not cut aid substantially for years.

There is hope in Washington that there will be a political calming in Egypt but there is also a high scepticism that the body politic will not be inclusive and that figures will create a one-sided narrative that does not allow for critique. It is clear that discussions in Washington about how to engage productively with Egypt will continue for some time, with frustration with a lack of process and real engagement set to rise.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2014 Menas Associates

Egypt: Electricity supplies cut to mosques

Separate, but linked to the question of energy subsidies, is the question of energy supplies. The gap between supply and demand for gas is growing rapidly, and the authorities have taken steps.

Limits have been set for the use of electricity at mosques. The religious endowments minister has ordered mosques not to run air conditioners before 15 May and after that date to use air conditioning only during prayer time and half an hour before and after the call to prayer.

Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa was reported by the state-run Al-Ahram as saying that he would also ensure that electricity meters were installed at mosques that do not have them.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.
© 2014 Menas Associates

Political parties set to fight each other in parliamentary elections

Political parties may jump on the Abdel Fattah El-Sisi bandwagon now but they will fight each other in the parliamentary elections later this year.  The political parties, many of which are new, are weakly organised outside Cairo and have limited resources. It is possible that El- Sisi’s supporters may attempt to create a political alliance that they will present to the electorate candidates that would broadly support his policies.

A number of political parties are advocating that parliamentary elections should be held on “a closed party list” system rather than the open system that the regime seems to prefer. The objective is to find a way of getting voters to make their selections on the basis of policies rather than powerful individuals.

The dissolved National Democratic Party recruited leading families and locally important individuals to help ensure its electoral victories. These families still remain, particularly in the rural areas, and may be tempted to stand as independents and then negotiate their way into parliamentary blocs and, perhaps, ministerial jobs.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.
© 2014 Menas Associates

Egypt: New government meets for first time to deal with strikes

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb appealed to Egyptians’ sense of patriotism to go back to work and to call off their strikes which are crippling the national economy.

The labour unrest, however, is largely the making of government measures introduced over the past three years allied to the sense of people-power acquired since the protests started three years ago. Successive governments have sought to mollify public opinion by granting wage increases to public sector workers which are not sustainable, given the dire state of government finances. Furthermore, the increases have not been universally applied, with the police and army getting a higher increase and some workers, particularly in the transport sector, deemed ineligible for the minimum wage.

The prime minister promised to look into the demands of protesters, but it is unclear what he can propose to meet their grievances.

Those who have been on strike include bus drivers, postal workers, doctors, pharmacists and workers in the steel and textile industries. According to media reports, negotiations between the minister of communications and postal workers broke down when the minister said that there was not enough money to pay the workers what they were asking for.

The difficult economic conditions have been exacerbated by power cuts caused by a shortfall in the production and supply of natural gas to meet demand, rising at 8-10% a year.

Security challenges are also dampening economic activity. The tourism minister flew to Berlin for the major travel trade show and also to try to persuade the German authorities to reverse their advisory on citizens to avoid all of the Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian authorities have sought to isolate Sharm el Sheikh and other resorts from the violence that has afflicted other parts of the peninsula, but the German government was unwilling to see the distinction.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2014 Menas Associates

Egypt: Army Sweep in the Sinai

Military sources said that 13 jihadi militants were killed in an air strike in northern Sinai. They said that the Air Force launched a series of strikes against militants around the city of el-Arish in northern Sinai, targeting houses, shops, vehicles and other gathering points. The army moved in later to targets near Sheikh Zuweyid and picked up four suspects, two of them Palestinians.

The strikes were in response to the downing of a military helicopter by the Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis (Supporters of Jerusalem) which has said it was behind a spate of attacks on security targets.

Militants have increased their attacks since Morsi was ousted as president in July. The group also said it had carried out the attack last month on the gas export pipeline to Jordan as part of a campaign to "target the regime's economic interests".

The Egyptian authorities have in effect cited the attacks as evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organisation - without producing evidence that the Brotherhood is behind the attacks. Once again, clashes broke out after Friday prayers between security forces and Brotherhood supporters in Cairo and Alexandria.

A car bomb targeting a bus carrying Egyptian soldiers wounded three civilians near Rafah in the Sinai, security officials said.

A police conscript was killed by unidentified gunmen in Sharqiya in the Nile Delta. Sherif Bayoumi, 30, and another conscript, El-Tablawi Mousa, 31, were shot at by hooded men riding a motorcycle. Bayoumi died soon after being transferred to hospital, while Mousa is in critical condition. Both victims sustained gunshot wounds to the head, reported Al-Ahram's Arabic website.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2014 Menas Associates

Egypt: Foreign minister says relations with the US now in turmoil

 

Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy was quoted as telling Al-Ahram that relations with the US are now in turmoil and the entire Middle East could suffer. He was speaking after the US Administration delivered a small rap across Egypt's knuckles for its undemocratic governance by suspending some military aid. However minimal the material effect of the suspension of some arms deliveries will be, there is no doubting that Egypt has felt the slight. Foreign ministers in the Arab world have seldom made foreign policy, which has been the preserve of the president or ruler. However, successive foreign ministers in the post-Hosni Mubarak era have demonstrated that they can be more than mere mouthpieces for their leaders. Fahmy is articulating the new mood in Egypt, one far more critical and hostile to the West, while rather more craven - for now - towards its new backers Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait.

 

Fahmy told the newspaper that Egypt had been depending for too long on US aid and that Washington should not take Egypt's support for its actions for granted. "We are now in a delicate state reflecting the turmoil in the relationship and anyone who says otherwise is not speaking honestly," he said. He said that the roots of the problems extend far beyond the current spat over aid suspension. "The truth is that the problem goes back much earlier, and is caused by the dependence of Egypt on the US aid for 30 years. (The aid) made us choose the easy option and not diversify our options."

 

There has been a suggestion that Egypt might turn to Russia for arms purchases - but such a move would be more political than strategic. Few expect Egypt to make the kind of break with Washington that it made with Moscow and the-then Soviet Union in 1973. One relic of the old relationship with the Eastern bloc is the Mig 21 fighter, used still to train Egyptian pilots. Their continued use came to light when one crashed near Luxor. For all the bluster, the military is enjoying the support of the US in confronting Islamist militants in the Sinai.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: Morsi trial date set

Judge Nabil Saleeb announced that Mohamed Morsi and other Brotherhood members have been charged with "inciting the killing and torture of protesters in front of the Etihadeya (presidential) palace". The incident outside the presidential palace in December was seen as a turning point in the fortunes of the former president. Those killed had been protesting at his decree extending his own powers.

The trial date has been set for 4 November. The former president has been held at a secret location since he was deposed.
 

In another move against the organisation, the ministry of social solidarity officially dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood as a non-profit organisation and ordered all of its funds and assets be put under the control of the military-appointed government.

The moves underline that the authorities currently in power have no intention of heeding the advice of others that they should seek reconciliation with the Brotherhood: this hardline approach risks storing up problems for the future.
 

The armed forces have suffered their own casualties in the past week, mainly in Sinai, at the hands of jihadist extremists. The authorities are trying to conflate the Islamists in the Sinai with the Muslim Brotherhood in the popular imagination although the two Islamist groups are ideologically very different. Six soldiers were killed in an attack by gunmen on an army patrol near Ismailia on the Suez Canal; two were killed outside the security headquarters at Al Tour, regional capital of South Sinai; and four were killed by a car bomb in Al Arish in north Sinai.
 

An RPG was also fired at the satellite ground station used by Nilesat.
 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.
 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: Media closures

The authorities have moved against the television channels it deems to be supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. A court in Cairo ordered the closure of four television stations, including the Brotherhood's Ahrar 25 TV, Al-Jazeera's Egyptian affiliate Mubasher Misr, Al-Quds, and Al-Yarmouk saying they were operating illegally.

 

Three journalists from Al-Jazeera English were deported.

 

From the outset of the revolt by young Arabs against their rulers in 2011, Al-Jazeera has provided the most comprehensive coverage of this widespread popular movement. Their Qatari owners firmly took the side of the street, to the dismay of ruling families and entrenched regimes across the region. They further have supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Hamas in the Gaza strip - and that support has now cost them access in Cairo.

 

The first step towards the proscribing of the Brotherhood as an organisation came when the State Commissioners Authority, a body that advises the government on legal issues, recommended its dissolution. It also called for the group's national headquarters in Moqattam to be closed. The recommendations were made in accordance with Law 84 of 2002, which prohibits non-government organisations and institutions from forming paramilitary groups. This particular charge came after an attack on the party's headquarters -which the interior ministry had warned it would not protect - and the actions of pro-Morsi supporters to protect themselves.

The State Commissioners Authority can only advise the government but it is likely that a similar measure will be invoked to ban the Brotherhood.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

The future of the Muslim Brotherhood

Supporters of Mohamed Morsi remain defiant. They insist he be restored to power. They say they will continue their protests until he is. However, the transitional authorities have made clear that it is not an option. The Muslim Brotherhood is being pulled in different directions. There were already splits between those who wanted a more political role, who formed the Freedom and Justice Party, and the old leadership around the Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie. Mr Badie said the army's removal of Morsi was equivalent to destroying one of Islam's holiest sites, the Kaaba in Mecca. "I swear by God that what Sisi did in Egypt is more criminal than if he had carried an axe and demolished the holy Kaaba stone by stone."

 

There have also been defections over the past to different splinter groups but the security services have targeted these, too. They have detained the leaders of the moderate al-Wasat party, Aboul-Ela Madi and his deputy Essam Sultan, charging them with responsibility for the death of protesters during recent violence.

 

There is always a risk that some members will split off and pursue their political ends of confrontation with the state through violence - a tactic adopted by the extremist Gamaat al-Islamiyaa in the 1990s with disastrous consequences.

 

Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy has said that turning to violence would be political suicide, and that the Brotherhood should be part of the country's political future. He warned that deepening political divisions would lead "ultimately to more tragedies". He accused the Brotherhood of inciting violence, posing a threat to the security of the country. "If they decide to withdraw from politics, it will be disappointing. If they decide to pursue violence, then you are looking at a completely different confrontation. Even if I personally reject their positions or ideology, they have to find their place in Egypt's political life. We are looking for reconciliation among all Egyptians; I don't think we are at a situation where we will allow the situation to get out of hand."

 

That reconciliation appears a long way off with the polarisation of political forces over the past two years. The military and the security establishment have resumed the old talk of the Muslim Brotherhood posing a security threat to the state - justification for the harsh measures, the detentions and the violent crackdowns they have introduced.

 

Already human rights activists are warning that the army action is not only putting the clock back to before the fall of Mubarak but even earlier to the repressive Nasser period.

 

The president has given Prime Minister Hazem el-Belbawi the power to grant the military the right to arrest citizens - but the military has shown it is more than capable of doing what it wants, including removing the president without recourse to such legal niceties.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: Dangers of excluding Islamists

 

The exclusion of Islamists from political life spells very real dangers. They remain a significant force. Islamists won nearly three quarters of the seats in parliament. To drive them underground again, as in the old days of the military regimes, risks storing up trouble ahead. Some are already muttering about the possibilities of armed insurrection -something avoided so far.

There have been voices within the Tamarrud movement, which orchestrated the mass demonstrations against President Morsi, seeking to forge alliances with the youth wing of the Muslim Brotherhood which they feel were betrayed by their leaders.

Another institution that has had its wings clipped since the change of authorities is Al-Jazeera, for many years seen as a mouthpiece of the Muslim Brotherhood. Plain-clothes police raided the TV station's main office in Cairo on Sunday and arrested the bureau chief.

Abdel Fattah Fayed was accused of operating an unlicensed channel and broadcasting reports that had a negative impact on national security.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: Mubarak fortune

 

In a bid to prevent any relaxation of the detention orders on the former president and members of his family, Mahmoud al-Hefnawy from the prosecutor general's technical office has said that the Mubarak family amassed a LE9 billion fortune during the former president's 30-year rule. Hefnawy said that evidence from the Administrative Control Authority, the Illicit Gains Authority and the Central Auditing Organisation all showed that Mubarak, his wife Susan Thabet, his sons Alaa and Gamal and their wives Heidi Rasekh and Khadiga al-Gammal all benefited financially from office.

He said that the figure included LE3 billion in cash, LE5 billion in stocks and shares and LE1 billion in real estate.

 

Hefnawy also submitted a Central Auditing Organisation report which states that five villas owned by the Mubaraks in Sharm El-Sheikh were paid for in full by a company owned by fugitive businessman Hussein Salem.

 

There was better fortune from the courts for one of Mubarak's last prime ministers, Ahmed Nazif. The Public Funds Prosecution ordered his release from charges of obtaining illegal gifts under the former regime. Al-Ahram reported that Nazif submitted documents to the prosecution proving that he had returned the money - about LE58,000 - to the state. However, he still faces other charges of making illicit gains from his position.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt announces cabinet reshuffle

This morning, Egypt announced a cabinet reshuffle involving 11 ministers, bowing to pressure from the opposition who say that President Mohamed Morsi's government is failing to build political consensus to revive the faltering economy and agree an urgent deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This latest reshuffle, the first since January, comes before Morsi heads to Brazil for a state visit later this week.

 

Key among the new appointments is Sherif Haddara, Chairman of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Egypt's state-run oil company, who will replace Osama Kamal as the Minister of Petroleum. His role will be crucial in the coming months, as the cash-strapped state seeks to provide much needed fuel for its citizens during the summer, as well as proposed subsidy reforms that could further exacerbate tensions. Sherif graduated from Cairo University in 1976 with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and has overseen Ruhrpumpen Egypt, Germany's joint venture project with Egypt, in his role at the EGPC.

 

Judge Mohamed Ahmed Soliman, the new Justice Minister, will replace Ahmed Mekki, who resigned in protest last month at attempts by affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) to reform the judiciary. Fayad Abdel-Moneim, an expert on Islamic finance and MB member, takes over as Finance Minister, replacing Al-Morsi Al-Sayed Hegazy. Amr Darrag will become Planning Minister, taking over from Ashraf Al-Arabi, who was pivotal in Egypt's talks with the IMF to secure a $4.8m loan.

 

It is unlikely that the reshuffle will appease the opposition, who have been calling for a neutral government and the replacement of Hesham Qandil as Prime Minister, especially as there are now 10 members of the MB appointed as ministers, as opposed to 8 in the last cabinet. The Ministers of Agriculture, Parliamentary Affairs, Antiquities, Culture and Investment were also replaced today. The Ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defence remain unchanged.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: Ongoing problems in the transport sector

 

 

Labour unrest continues to plague Egypt. Alexandria's railway workers forced the cancellation of a number of trains while the city's international airport at al Burj was closed after police blocked the runway and demanded a slice of the fees paid by travellers.

Meanwhile Cairo airport is reducing its operating hours because of both a dramatic fall in traffic and a need to save energy. The civil aviation minister, Wael al-Maadawi, said that two runways will now be closed for four hours starting from 01.30 am (2330 GMT) "in order to save energy". Only one runway at Terminal 3 - which serves as a regional hub - will remain open 24 hours a day.

Egypt's growing sense of isolation was increased by the rupture of undersea telecommunications cables. A judge is now investigating which ship might have dragged its anchors over the cables.

Only Iran, itself in almost complete international isolation and economic meltdown, seems to be improving relations with Egypt at present. Direct flights between the two countries were inaugurated on 30 March when an aircraft of the privately-owned Air Memphis took off from Cairo airport. Civil Aviation Minister Wael Al-Maadawi said that Iran and Egypt had signed an agreement to promote tourism, basically one way, to bring Iranian tourists to Egypt.

There have been concerns expressed that the presence of Iranian tourists in Egypt might lead to conversions to Shiism - but a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood scoffed at the suggestion. Dr Essam el-Erian, who was for years the Brotherhood's official spokesman, said that Egypt's Sunni identity was very strong. “Egypt is too great to be penetrated by any thought or current ... Egypt has refused all forms of secularism and welcomed nationalism mixed with Islamism,” he said.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt: NSF lists conditions of dialogue

The National Salvation Front (NSF) coalition of opposition groups has listed its conditions for any dialogue with the presidency to reduce the tension and the polarisation that has emerged in Egyptian politics. They include taking "serious steps" towards the prosecution of those responsible for protesters' deaths, along with the formation of a new government of national unity.

 

The NSF also insisted on the appointment of a new prosecutor-general in accordance with the constitution and judicial independence, and amending Egypt's new constitution, both stipulations that it made before.

 

A few weeks ago, the presidency would have dismissed the NSF as a political irrelevance but the growing dissatisfaction with the state of the economy and the government's inability to arrest decline might incline the presidency to seek a broader mandate for ruling by engaging in some sort of discussions with the NSF.

 

For its part, the Supreme Constitutional Court has raised the possibility of a delay in the holding of parliamentary elections by ruling that the electoral law is flawed.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

 

© 2013 Menas Associates

Egypt's parliament reconvenes

Reports have emerged that Egypt's parliament has briefly reconvened, despite the country's Supreme Constitutional Court's decision to dissolve the assembly. Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi ordered the assembly to meet in defiance of the ruling.

Just days ago, Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) said the decision to dissolve the parliament must be upheld. The military closed parliament last month after the Supreme Court ruling.

Analyst speculate that this could be the first real confrontation between the military and the new president since he was sworn in a week ago.

Speaker Saad al-Katatni said that by holding the assembly, MPs were not contradicting the ruling "but looking at a mechanism for the implementation of the ruling of the respected court. There is no other agenda today".

MPs approved Katatni's proposal that the parliament seek legal advice from a high appeals court on how to implement the Supreme Court's decision. He then adjourned the session.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Egypt: Hosni Mubarak's trial resumes

Following the reopening of former president Hosni Mubarak's trial in Cairo, his defence team began arguing the case. Mubarak stands accused of ordering the killing of demonstrators during national unrest, which led to his resignation last year.

According to Egypt's State media, the defence's arguments are expected to be heard over the course of three days.

Prosecutors insist Mubarak face the death penalty, along with his co-defendants, the former interior minister Minister Habib al-Adly and six senior policemen. Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, are facing separate charges of corruption in the same trial.

The former Egyptian ruler was wheeled into court on a stretcher. His laywers said Mubarak was unable to be upright for fear of suffering a stroke.

The charges against the defendant are as follow:

Hosni Mubarak: Conspiring in killing of protesters (15 years in prison or death penalty); abusing power to amass wealth (5-15 years)
Alaa and Gamal: abusing power to amass wealth (5-15 years)
Al-Adly and six police officials: conspiring in killing of protesters (15 years or death penalty)
Business mogul Hussein Salem: tried in absentia for corruption (5-15 years in prison).

According to a number of Egyptian sources, Mubarak's lawyer Farid al-Deeb is expected to reveal several surprises as he makes his case; however, he refused to elaborate when speaking to Al-Madry Al-Youm newspaper. He said: "Nobody knows what I will say."

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AP

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Egypt: Mubarak trials resume

The trials of Hosni Mubarak and his family, as well as some of his cronies, have resumed amid moves to accelerate the process. There has been much resentment at the way the trials have been stretched out, leading to suspicions that senior members of the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) hope that Mubarak will die before he can be found guilty.

The prosecutors are showing some determination, and this week accused Mubarak of being a corrupt tyrant who had devoted his last ten years in office trying to ensure that his son Gamal succeeded him. They said that he had ordered the killing of protesters when the demonstrations broke out early last year and have announced that they seeking the death sentence.

AFP reports prosecutor Mustafa Khater as saying: “The law foresees the death penalty for premeditated murder.” Given the severity of the charges, seeking the death penalty was always a possibility, but many Egyptians will be shocked to hear the demand put so bluntly for the first time in the trial.

Earlier, both head of SCAF, Mohamed HusseinTantawi, and ex-head of intelligence, Omar Sulaiman, had testified that Mubarak had not ordered security forces to open fire on demonstrators in early 2011 (860 died).

Although there is a popular belief that the Mubaraks salted away billions of dollars, the prosecution said that Alaa and Gamal had illegal assets of rather less: US$340 million.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2012 Menas Associates