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Troops blockade Egyptian parliament
Egypts emboldened military on Friday deployed troops around parliament and established checkpoints across the capital a day before presidential elections pitting one of their own against an Islamist outsider from a long-outlawed group.Uniformed security officials barred lawmakers from entering the parliament building a day after an explosive court ruling cleared the way for the dissolution of a democratically elected legislature. The ruling also accorded all legislative and budgetary powers to the countrys ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which was preparing to unilaterally define the powers of the head of state due to be elected this weekend. Witnesses and state media said thousands of military police in battle dress fanned out across the capital and other cities in the early hours of the morning, setting up checkpoints and searching cars and minibuses after a court granted the armed forces police and intelligence operatives broad arrest powers over civilians. State television showed footage of convoys of trucks filled with soldiers. They were reportedly being positioned to safeguard the elections. The Brotherhood has responded angrily to the moves, which appear to be aimed at weakening it. Posted by: lotp 2012-06-16 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=346661 |