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| Africa North |
| After three-year gap, Egyptian parliament picks speaker to push through Sisi laws |
| 2016-01-11 |
| [REUTERS] Meeting for the first time in more than three years, Egypt's new parliament on Sunday elected a constitutional expert as its speaker, a key position as President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi looks to push through more than 200 laws issued by executive decree while the assembly was suspended. Ali Abdelaal, a French-educated lawyer who helped draft the constitution and election law, is a member of the "Support Egypt" coalition, an alliance of over 400 MPs loyal to Sisi. As speaker, Abdelaal is now first in the line of succession in case of the death or permanent incapacity of the president, until new elections are held. He quickly moved to impose his authority over the traditionally chaotic and unruly body. "I know the constitution by heart. I wrote this constitution, nobody holds it up to me," he barked at a politician who spoke out of turn to insist parliament was constitutionally obliged to elect deputy speakers in its first session after Abdelaal moved to adjourn it. Egypt's last parliament was elected in 2011-12 in the country's first free vote since a popular January 2011 uprising that ended autocrat Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... 's 30-year rule. The parliament was dominated by Islamists and a court dissolved it in mid-2012 after ruling that the election laws at the time were unconstitutional. A year later, Mubarak's elected successor, Mohammed Mursi of the Moslem Brüderbund, was himself tossed by the military led by Sisi after mass protests against his rule in June 2013. "I express my sincere thanks and appreciation toward the leader of the way, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi," Abdelaal said upon assuming office. "I will always be a defender of democracy and the principles of the Jan. 25 and June. 30 revolutions. I will also be a protector of the people's army and defender of its unity." |
| Posted by:Fred |