Egypt extends state of emergency for two years
Egypt, Politics, 5/27/2008

Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif affirmed before the People Assembly (parliament) session, that the emergency law would be used only for combating terrorism, protecting citizens and maintaining their freedoms.

Egypt State Information Service reported him telling the People's Assembly yesterday that "The emergency law will only be used as deemed necessary to confront terror and to protect the security of the nation and its citizens from terror cells and organizations that have not calmed down until now."

The report added "Nazif was addressing the parliament following the issuance of a presidential decree to extend the sate of emergency for two years starting on June 1, 2008 or till the emergency law is replaced by an anti-terror one. The emergency law was enforced in 1981."

"Underway preparations for the anti-terror law, that will replace the emergency law, come in implementation of President Hosni Mubarak's promises to end the state of emergency," Nazif told the parliament.

"The new law will have to strike a balance between the rights of the citizens and the safety of the society" the report noted him saying, adding that "The committee, entrusted to draft this bill, is seeking a balanced formula that will be producing a stable legislation to avert any criticism of its content."

Reponding to questions about the passing of this law, and if this disappointing to the USA, the US Department Of State spokesman Sean McCormack said "Yeah, it’s disappointing that they did decide to extend the state of emergency. This is a campaign promise by President Mubarak that he was going to repeal the state of emergency. In its place, they had been working on a new law, a counterterrorism law. That law seems to be stuck in the parliament and we would urge the Egyptian Government to pass that law so there is no need for a state of emergency and urge them to pass a law, that while protecting the Egyptian people, which is an important function of any government, it also allows the ability of people to freely express themselves in public and in private, even if those views are contrary or inconsistent with the policies of the government."

Asked about Mubarak boycotting Bush’s speech recently, and about too much or too little pressure from the USA on Egypt for moving towards democracy, McCormack said "Well – and we agree that they can do it themselves, but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to speak out about the importance of broadening and deepening democracy. And I think it’s only natural; sometimes, you have, you know, a friend in a firm yet friendly way saying, “You need to move forward on these various issues.” Sometimes people say, “Well, we can do it ourselves,” and it sort of gets people’s back up and they start feeling – you know, they want to be independent, they want to do it themselves. Absolutely, we fully agree that the only way that the Egyptian political system is going to evolve and to broaden and deepen democracy within the context of that political system is for the Egyptians to do it themselves. We can’t impose it and we don’t want to impose it. But we are going to continue to encourage, to push, to prod, to cajole, because we think it’s important."

Those in Egyptian opposition had criticized the emergency laws and called for their lifting seeing such laws as a political tool of suppression used by the state against them.

Previous Stories:
  Egyptian opposition website blocked   (5/13/2008)
  Egyptian Judge dismisses six additional cases against convicted editor   (3/31/2008)
  Released by courts, novelist continues to be held under new charges   (2/19/2008)
  Torture and coerced confessions in Egyptian terrorism investigation   (12/11/2007)
  Concern Egypt new anti-terror law may infringe on rights   (2/21/2007)

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