Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mohammed Morsi (Photo: AP)
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) slammed both the ruling military council (SCAF) and the government of prime minister Essam Sharaf for releasing People's Assembly and Shura Council laws without the approval of the country’s political forces.
The party said in a statement today that amendments to the laws, which were released by the cabinet yesterday, do not reflect what the council previously discussed with Egypt’s various political forces. On 18 September, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) had held a meeting with representatives of various political parties to discuss the new electoral law. Laters members of the MB had slammed the meeting as a "waste of time."
“We don’t understand why SCAF has resorted to a proposal that was not presented (to the political forces) before?” the party asked in the statement. “And why are they presenting this new law in this way before discussing it during previous discussions?"
“The reality has proven that the military council and the current government do not have a specific political vision to administer the transitional period,” the statement continued. “And that’s why they made decisions that negatively affect the progress of the transitional period.”
The party also demanded that the government and SCAF release a timetable for the transition of power to a civilian administration that includes dates for the presidential elections as well elections for parliament and Shura Council. They also want SCAF to announce the date for the elections of the constituent assembly that will tailor the country’s new constitution.
The FJP also condemned the recent crackdown on freedom, including last week's incident of censoring Sout El-Ummah newspaper for criticising the Egyptian Intelligence apparatus.
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