- EGYPT
- March 12, 2012
- 5 minutes read
Parliament Begins Proceedings to Withdraw Confidence
The Egyptian People’s Assembly (PA), headed by Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni, agreed with overwhelming majority, to initiate no-confidence legal action and regulatory proceedings, to officially withdraw confidence from the Ganzouri government, against the background of the issue of Americans accused in the case of NGO foreign funding leaving the country.
Parliament called on the government to take a definitive position on US aid issues, and to identify and prosecute those responsible for allowing accused Americans to travel out of the country.
Dr. Mohamed Beltagy, a member of the Committee on Defense and National Security, said: “It is essential for the PA’s General Committee to convene, at the earliest time, to begin procedures to withdraw confidence, continue to pursue the Minister of Interior and hold him accountable for the events of Port Said, and to pass the Judicial Authority Law.
Meanwhile, MP Saad Al-Husseini said, “The Ministers spoke as if they lived on isolated islands. The interim government must go. Our esteemed Parliament must propose urgent legislation to ensure the independence of the judiciary in Egypt, and the independence of civil society organizations.
Further, counselor Mahmoud Al- Khodeiri said, “The Prime Minister must come forth and reveal who is responsible for blatant interference in the judiciary.
Moreover, MP Amr Hamzawy said, “Article 57 of the Constitutional Declaration states that the implementation of laws and maintenance of State security are the responsibility of the government, and our recommendation as Parliament is to withdraw confidence from the interim government and to form a new permanent one”.
Furthermore, just as they did in the Shura Council, Ganzouri government Ministers who attended the PA session yesterday claimed that they had nothing to do with the smuggling of U.S. suspects in the case of NGO foreign funding.
Counselor Adel Abdel-Hamid, Minister of Justice, said: “All judicial proceedings against American suspects were legal”, adding that he did not know who issued the orders, and that the first and last word in this matter is the judiciary’s.
Further, Faiza Abul-Naga, Minister of International Cooperation, at the beginning of her statement ignored the main topic of NGO foreign funding, and spoke as if giving a lecture at some University on foreign borrowing and the way her ministry worked.
She said her ministry had nothing to do with civil society organizations, but the Ministry of Insurance and Social Affairs is the competent authority specialized in these matters.
Then, Hussein Masoud, Minister of Civil Aviation, said that his Ministry did its part in the inspection of the plane, imposing a fine of LE50,000 ($8,333) for changing its approved flight schedule.
On the other hand, Nagwa Khalil, Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs said that her Ministry’s role in the NGO foreign funding was to identify organizations that operate in violation of the law; which it already did.