Egyptian Military Moves to Retain All Power: "The Protector of Constitutional Legitimacy"

Scary things continuing in the post-Mubarak Egyptian Cabinet, which has proposed that the Egyptian military shall have no "oversight." The Cabinet is appointed by the military. Should the proposal become law, military generals will have a veto over all military legislation, AND such military will be deemed "the protector of constitutional legitimacy." There are threats of another revolution. And this: The measure also is designed to curtail the likely influence by Islamist lawmakers over the writing of a new constitution. It depends on what the meaning of Islamist is, doesn't it. No one is happy but the military. In the meantime, the new Egyptian liberation is experiencing tourism down by 42 percent. Camels are butchered daily. No one comes to take a trot around the pyramids.

Mohamed Hussein Tantawi

My Way:

If approved, the measure would shield the military from parliamentary oversight, give it a veto over legislation dealing with its affairs and reduce the powers of lawmakers to select a panel to write the constitution. 

The proposal also would declare the armed forces the protector of "constitutional legitimacy," wording that is widely interpreted to mean giving the military final say over major national policies. 

It says 80 of the 100-member panel to be mandated to write the new constitution will not be chosen by lawmakers and will instead be drawn from a wide range of institutions, including the judiciary, universities and civil society groups. The rest will come from political groups represented in parliament's two chambers.

The article separates the Muslim Brotherhood from "Islamists." Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed ElBaradei is trying to get a large turnout to protest on November 18th, but the report says they have not had much success in "recent months." "Islamists have an impressive record in mobilizing their supporters," however.

This from a "rights lawer Negad Borai:

"We must now collect our remains and start all over again. The struggle against dictatorship will be long. Our enemy is ferocious and dangerous," he said of the generals on the military council.

Egypt's military has, over and over, said they would step aside after the Parliamentary election scheduled for November 28th and stretching out in some way to January 10th, 2012. Many suspect that the Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (read background here), Egypt's military head, is planning to campaign for president. Rumors are that he has been seen in Cairo, in civilian clothes, gladhanding. The unfortunate history of Egypt has been led and directed by military rulers.

New York Times, November 2, 2011:

In October, members of the military council said they planned to retain full control of the Egyptian government even after the election of a new Parliament begins in November. The legislature will remain in a subordinate role similar to Mr. Mubarak’s former Parliament, they said, with the military council appointing the prime minister and cabinet.

Revolution is hell.

Posted by Maggie @ Maggie's Notebook