President Mubarak’s election platform included promises to revoke laws restricting press freedom and judicial independence and to abrogate the 25-year-old state of emergency. Eight months after his re-election, however, municipal elections have been postponed for two years and the government is involved in an increasingly bitter conflict with journalists and judges. On Sunday, April 30, the People’s Assembly voted to extend the emergency law for another two years. Sunday was selected because the following day, Monday, was a public holiday, thus reducing the possibility of demonstrations and protests against the extension.
Opposition Members of the Parliament arrived at the People’s Assembly wearing white and black sashes on which was written “No to the state of emergency”.
Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif read the extension request stating that it would take two years to draw up the anti-terror legislation that President Mubarak had promised would replace the emergency laws, and which will entail amending the constitution. He cited recent terrorist acts in Sinai and sectarian conflict in Alexandria to justify maintaining the state of emergency, pointing out that unlike on previous occasions the requested extension was for two not three years. Nazif also promised the emergency law would be invoked mainly in the battle against terrorism and drug-trafficking and not to limit political freedoms.
Published Date: May 15, 2006