‘Unconstitutional:’ Egyptian High Court Orders Parliament Dissolved
- Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:08am by
Billy Hallowell
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Campaign posters supporting Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister of deposed president Hosni Mubarak, hang above a popular market in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Arabic on the banners reads: "Ahmed Shafiq for Egyptian presidency", and "Egypt for all."(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
CAIRO (The Blaze/AP) — Today, it seems more problems are on the horizon in the evolving Egyptian political system. The nation‘s highest court on Thursday ordered the country’s Islamist-dominated parliament dissolved, saying its election about six months ago was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that a third of the legislature was elected illegally. As a result, it says in its explanation of the ruling, “the makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand.”
(Related: Egyptian Cleric: Sharia Law Would Make Egypt the ‘Mightiest Nation in the World’)
The explanation was carried by Egypt‘s official news agency and confirmed to The Associated Press by one of the court’s judges, Maher Sami Youssef. The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held.
The law governing the parliamentary elections, held over a three-month period starting in November, was ruled unconstitutional by a lower court because it breached the principle of equality when it allowed party members to contest a third of seats set aside for independents. The remaining two thirds were contested by party slates.
In a separate ruling, the court said Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, could stay in the presidential race, rejecting a law passed by parliament last month that barred prominent figures from the old regime from running for office.
Shafiq will go head-to-head on Saturday and Sunday in a runoff against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s strongest political group.
The ruling said the legislation was not based on “objective grounds” and “constitutes a violation of the principle of equality,“ leading to discrimination on ”illogical grounds.”
The Brotherhood stands to lose the most by the rulings since it controls just under half of all seats in the legislature and is likely not to do as well in the next election. Its popularity has declined since the legislative election over its failure to translate its parliamentary domination into real political power and its perception as a power hungry group more preoccupied with its own interests than national ones.
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De-Elect
Posted on June 15, 2012 at 6:17amDictatorship 101
Report Post »rahgoo
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:30pmBusiness leaders supported by Mubarak ruled Egypt before the revolution. Now poverty pimps calling themselves the Brotherhood want the political power needed to extort business owners and live off the proceeds. The poor will become poorer with only their old prayer rugs and a louder voice to yell god is great.
Report Post »Mr Sanders
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 9:17pmNO problem – don’t like where things are going disolve your government…. and stuff the people’s rights and representations in the cammode…. “press the handle please.”
Egypt – how’s that “Democracy” treating ya?!
Report Post »Ron Staiger
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 5:00pmHow’s that arab-friggin-spring grabbin’ ya now, Baraaaaaaack- you stupid, marxist dolt? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Report Post »Nabilah
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:31pmDon’t be misled. Obama and Clinton had nothing to do with the Arab Spring in Egypt. They stayed well back until the results were inevitable. They can’t take credit or blame for any of it. They watched along with the rest of us.
Report Post »bravjim
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:31pmWhen our founding fathers decided to declare independence from Britain, and they had to decide what kind of government they would institute, one of the preeminent concerns they had was whether the people of the colonies were moral enough to handle a democratic process. Egypt faces many of the same questions that our founders did, but they failed to consider morality of the people of their nation as they instituted their constitution. In truth, many islamists do live by a strict moral code, but the problem they face is that sharia law is not a moral institution. It destroys liberty and freedom in choosing your own religion and beliefs. Trying to use a tyrannical code in a free nation cannot work, and they might make a go of it, but they will end up with tyrants ruling over them anyway.
Report Post »ASonOfLiberty1776
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 3:44pmFreedom and Islam cannot and will never co-exist. That’s why we wasted our time and effort in Iraq, are semi-wasting our time and effort in Afghanistan, and will end up wasting out time and effort being involved in the “Arab Spring” if we get heavily involved there.
Report Post »Schitzoid_Avenger
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:23pmEgypt was drowning, and this hopefully gives them a chance to take a deep breath. Hopefully they will realize that the Muslim Brotherhood is a millstone that was dragging them down.
Report Post »kindling
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 1:13pmThe Muslim Brotherhood will have to go out and twise arms again on short notice and will not do so well this time. I am so happy they realized they were being strong armed and stopped the infestation. I pray they will get their government back in the control of their citizens.
Report Post »Dave In Arizona
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 3:41pmSadly, the citizens have never been in control of their government. Goes for most of the Middle Eastern countries besides Egypt.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:30pmYes, they all seem to have something that keeps them fighting, even each other, every tribe, inside and out, the Jews, the Americans, English, India, anyone who will fight. These people can’t even get along amongst themselves. Most of them cannot even read and write. I guess that is what the leftists are trying to do to America. Keep all the country doped up and ignorant so they can just take over. Well, NEWS FLASH: Keep your azzes in the dunes because most us here can read and write and we don’t like what we are seeing and will do something about it.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:22pmPick your poison. The Mubarak appointed courts are just as tyrannical as the Brotherhood.
Report Post »ASonOfLiberty1776
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 3:40pmTrue that. We need to stay out of the whole “Arab Spring” thing unless they start threatening us.
Report Post »Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 8:56pmTrue, but at least under Mubarak, Christians, Jews, & other faiths could visit the country & not fear for their lives. With the Brotherhood in charge, tourism would be at an end unless you are a Muslim.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:09pmIt was a case of buyers remorse-it seemed great until bills didn’t get paid, tourism dropped like a rock and all those who wanted freedom realized it had been co-opted by extremists who would take them backwards. All of a sudden women were going back to the kitchen and their hubbies found themselves in a tough place, support muslim brotherhood or catch hell at home. Younger generation doesn’t want to replace Mubarak with controlling brotherhood. Re-thinking it with help from a smart court could protect Egypt for awhile, probably not forever. Shoulda had a v-8 instead.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:39amI think I know why the people of this region have had despotic rule for so long.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:49amBecause they’re nuts, and need a despotic tyrant to keep the peace…….
Report Post »Nabilah
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:27pmHundreds of years of colonialism trained them well. Egyptians learned hundreds of years ago to keep their heads down and make the best of things.But now they want more. I hope they get it..
Report Post »Noonien_Soong
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:34pmThe Pharaohs of olden times were despots and believed themselves as gods
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:38amNow entrenched… the Islamists… will simply Revolt… and create a Caliphate Constitution!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:38amLook for Obama to intervein militarily in Egypt, as he is trying to do in Syria, as his radical allies among the Muslim Brotherhood begin to rise up to take power by force of arms.
Report Post »scrudge
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:35amAh Yes…. islam… dissolve all of it
Report Post »Silversmith
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:34amFascinating. It seems politics there is as interesting as it is here. And I’m sure we see it through the same dirty lens.
Silversmith
Report Post »piper60
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:34amHow long do you folks think it’ll be before the high court either gets replaced as an institution, or the current judges jailed/assassinated?
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:52amnot long. am sure this ill heat up. that “ glorious” arab spring.
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:31amTrying to put the genie back in the bottle.
Report Post »capitalismrocks
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:28amGee, now here’s something no one saw coming {sic}
Hows all that Arab Spring working for ya now you idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey Barry, so this is what democracy looks like huh???? So glad Barry supported and Hillary fully backed this wonderful transformation of the middle east…
I’m sure the MSM is just patting themselves on the back today for all their hopey-changey support of this utter disaster…. why look, its going to be the new North Korea of the middle east!
Nice going guys, you’ve just witnessed the first of the end results of all this Arab spring crap!!!
Report Post »NOBALONEY
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:24amAll together now, ‘This is what democracy looks like”!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:40amMiddle East translation: chaos .
Report Post »TOPOFTHEGAME
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:23amobaMAO,,,,,,,, will be disappointed that U.S. Brotherhood State Dept. may not win the election.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:10amMake no mistake…this is the Egyptian army trying to put out the fire they allowed to burn.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on June 14, 2012 at 4:43pmYep–a military coup by any other name, and just in time for the 60th anniversary of the one that overthrew Farouk! A Brotherhood government would quickly break the uneasy peace with Israel, which would cost the Egyptian Army the immense largesse it gets annually from the US. So much for democracy.
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