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Africa North
Army takes over in Egypt
2012-06-14
(CNN) -- Egypt's highest court declared the parliament invalid Thursday, and the country's interim military rulers promptly declared full legislative authority, triggering a new level of chaos and confusion in the country's leadership.

The Supreme Constitutional Court found that all articles making up the law that regulated parliamentary elections are invalid, said Showee Elsayed, a constitutional lawyer.

The ruling means that parliament must be dissolved, state TV reported.

Parliament had been in session for just over four months. It was dominated by Islamists, a group long viewed with suspicion by the military.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in control of the country since Mubarak's ouster, announced that it now has full legislative power and will announce a 100-person assembly that will write the country's new constitution by Friday.

The Moslem Brüderbund, Egypt's largest Islamist party, said SCAF leaders were taking matters into their own hands "against any true democracy they spoke of."

The court also ruled that former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik. the last prime minister to serve under ousted President Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
, may run in a presidential election runoff this weekend.

The court rejected a law barring former members of Mubarak's regime from running in the election.

The runoff Saturday and Sunday pits him against Mohamed Morsi, head of the Moslem Brüderbund's political arm.
Posted by:Fred

#9  Ebbang, the Obama administration has involved the Brotherhood in all sorts of talks and outreach. Doubt the administration passed any message of that sort.
Posted by: lotp   2012-06-14 18:54  

#8  Who didn't see this coming? Other than the US State Department and Slow Joe.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2012-06-14 18:46  

#7  Tourism is prolly dead. They have no other real income
Posted by: Frank G   2012-06-14 18:38  

#6  Did the generals do it on their own or did somebody tell them that, in spite of what Slow Joe says, there would be no more US dollars if the Muslim Brotherhood takes over?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305   2012-06-14 18:36  

#5  Absolute best part is that today Biden was extolling the Virtue of the "Arab Spring".
Posted by: Charles   2012-06-14 17:55  

#4  If the Muslim Brotherhood doesn't like it, it must be good.


I suspect that in Egypt's case the choices range only between horrible and slightly less horrible, Whiskey Mike. Last I heard, Egypt was importing half their food, and paying for the imports with money borrowed from Saudi Arabia, which they haven't a hope in hell of paying back...nor of replacing with income from the tourists who no longer come. Not to mention that in a year or so Israel will become self-sufficient energy-wise, although that income has become erratic since various desert-dwellers developed the habit of blowing up Egypt's oil pipeline.
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-06-14 16:17  

#3  If the Muslim Brotherhood doesn't like it, it must be good.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike   2012-06-14 14:18  

#2  I would rather have the military in charge of Egypt. At least they act like grown ups.
Posted by: DarthVader   2012-06-14 13:50  

#1  The best of the possible outcomes.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-06-14 13:17  

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