Ashraf Thabet, deputy speaker of the People's Assembly, has refused, in his personal capacity as a Nour Party MP, a suggestion floated by many MPs earlier this week to withdraw confidence from the Kamal El-Ganzoury’s government.

Thabet explained that it’s very hard to form a new government soon. In addition, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has the right to refuse the dismissal of the government, which may create tensions leading to the dissolution of parliament.

The call for a vote of confidence in the government came as a reaction to a court decision lifting a travel ban on a group of foreign NGO workers, 19 of them American, who are on trial for operating in the country without a license and receiving illegal foreign funding.

Thabet denied that SCAF might have any direct influence on the parliament’s decisions, or on the formation of the 100-member committee responsible for drafting a new constitution.

He expressed at a seminar organised by the Dialogue Forum of Alexandria Library on Wednesday that he hopes to complete the formation of the committee before presidential elections in May.