Egypt’s Council to discuss military tribunals, int’l deals ahead of 2nd round of vote

Egypt’s Advisory Council will discuss the contentious issue of military trials for civilians and the international deals signed by Egypt during its scheduled meeting on Tuesday as the military rulers sought to affirm parliament’s role in drafting the country’s constitution ahead of the second round of voting.

“We discussed the rights of the revolutionary martyrs and victims, as well as the ending of the state of emergency, during our first meeting,” said council chairman Mansour Hassan, Egypt’s daily al-Masry al-Youm reported.

Council member Mohamed al-Kholy said the council would announce the agendas of coming meetings. “We expect to review a number of international agreements that Egypt recently signed,” he said. “The minimum and maximum wage issue is a priority.”

Meanwhile, Egypt’s ruling military sought Monday to affirm parliament's role in drafting the country’s constitution, after Islamists set to win legislative elections accused the army of sidelining the chamber.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had angered the powerful Muslim Brotherhood by declaring the army would have the final say over those tasked with writing the constitution, appointing an “advisory council” to set the criteria.

“The advisory council will give opinions and advice regarding issues and events of the country... to create a link between the military council and the political forces during this critical phase in the history of Egypt,” said its Facebook page.

The Council stressed “the advisory council is not a substitute for the people’s assembly or any other elected body, and its role will end when a president is elected” next year, according to AFP.

The statement comes after a spat between the ruling military council -- which took power after former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising -- and the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party.

Drafting the next constitution

Major General Mukhtar al-Mulla, a member of the military council, said last week that the advisory body would have a role in drafting the next constitution.

But the comments were slammed by the FJP as army interference in parliament.

“We have a parliament that will be elected within a month, and the panel that will write the constitution should be chosen by parliament,” senior Brotherhood leader Mohammed al-Beltagui told AFP on Sunday.

Islamist groups won about 68 percent of seats in the first round of parliamentary elections, according to Associated Press calculations based on official results. The Muslim Brotherhood dominated the vote, with about 47 percent, while the second-place al-Nour - an even more conservative Islamist party - won about 21 percent. Only four women won among 150 of 498 seats determined.

The elections were the first since Hosni Mubarak’s February ouster in a popular uprising, and are considered the freest and fairest vote in Egypt’s modern history. There are still two more rounds the first of which will kick off on Wednesday and to continue for two days.

Millions of Egyptians voted in a March referendum to allow the next parliament the power to elect a 100-person committee that would draft the next constitution.

In theory, the new parliament will be entrusted with forming a 100-member assembly to write the constitution. But the ruling military council says election results showed the parliament will not be representative, so they are appointing a council to ensure the process of drafting a constitution is protected from extremist religious ideas.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said his group will not be part of the new constitutional oversight council because it will deprive the parliament of its authority.

“The military council is determined to turn against the will of the people,“ he said. “To those who voice fear of Islamists, this is just blackmailing."

Expected collision between army and Islamists

A collision between the powerful Brotherhood and the military was much anticipated. A secular institution that has traditionally controlled access of Islamists to its ranks, the military said it is the only authority that will have the right to form a new government and spoke about determination to oversee the writing of the constitution. Recently, the ruling generals have indicated the new parliament will be weakened.

The 83-year-old Brotherhood was banned under Mubarak and subjected to waves of arrests and oppression but still managed to build the country's strongest political organization, fielding independent candidates in previous elections. With Mubarak’s fall, it was the group’s chance to exert its power openly. They supported the military’s push for relatively quick elections, despite opposition from liberal and youth groups who saw it as rushed.

With a strong showing, a clash over the role of the military appears inevitable, according to AP.

The military has been the most powerful institution in Egypt since army officers toppled the monarchy in a 1952 coup, giving the country its four presidents since and wielding significant influence and economic power ever since.

Critics view the military’s moves as an attempt to reassert its ultimate authority over the country, which is deeply threatened by the uprising.

Ghozlan said that he believes that the high turnout in elections gives their victory legitimacy.

Emad Abdul Ghafour, head of the ultraconservative Islamist al-Nour party and a member of the new constitutional council, said the group met last Thursday and discussed guidelines for the constitutional principles, including some 20 articles to be copied from the old constitution. However, he said the council overlooked controversial articles such as secrecy of the military budget.

The military wants to shield its budget from civilian oversight, even after an elected president and parliament are in place.

(Additional writing by Abeer Tayel)