| A military court hands out suspended six-month sentences to 73 people for their involvement in September’s attack on the Israeli Embassy attack, which led to the evacuation of the ambassador and his family. |
| By ET staff |
| A Gallup poll reports that Egyptians feel less safe now than they did before the January 25 Revolution. Based on surveys in July and August, results show that 38 percent of Egyptians say they do not feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where they live.On its Facebook page, the SCAF announces it will free 334 people convicted in military courts since the fall of Mubarak in February. Human rights activists estimate some 12,000 civilians have faced military prosecution since February 11. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf negotiates an agreement between feuding lawyers and judges to end a crisis that led to the closure of several courthouses. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Al Selmi meets with political forces to discuss a “supra-constitutional” document setting guidelines for Egypt’s new constitution. The 22-clause document will determine the identity of the state and lay out the fundamental principles and liberties in the draft constitution. The so-called “Selmi paper” enrages many political players, who object to Articles 9 and 10, which reportedly gives the incumbent SCAF exclusive authority to approve legislation related to its internal affairs. The Cabinet amends the two controversial clauses of the Selmi paper. The original version of Article 9 stipulated that “only the Armed Forces has the right to discuss matters related to the Armed Forces or discuss its budget, and only the Armed Forces can approve any legislation relating to the Armed Forces. ” In the new version, the word “only” is deleted. The first draft of Article 10 stated that a “council of national defense” will be created and headed by the president. According to the article, the council’s role would be to safeguard national security. The clause is amended to state that the council will also be responsible for “revising and approving the budget of the armed forces.” Laila Sueif, mother of detained activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, goes on a hunger strike to protest what she calls her son’s unjustified imprisonment by the military. Official campaigning for Egypt’s parliamentary elections begins and is set to end November 26, two days ahead of the elections. Egyptians living abroad start to register to vote in the parliamentary elections; registration runs through November 19. Blasts hit a gas pipeline between Egypt and Jordan supplying gas to Israel, the seventh such attack since Mubarak’s ouster. A Daqahliyah governorate Administrative Court ruling bans former NDP members from contesting the upcoming parliamentary elections. 14 The Administrative Court overturns the Daqahliyah court ruling banning former NDP members from running for reelection, saying the judiciary does not have the authority to bar candidates from running unless convicted by a court of law. Orascom Telecom Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Russia’s Vimpelcom Khaled Bichara announces he will step down at the end of December 2011 to “pursue new business opportunities.” Hundreds of thousands of people, the majority from Islamist groups, return to Tahrir Square for a “Protecting Democracy” protest calling for the SCAF to hand power over to civilians by April 2012 and rejecting the supra constitutional document proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Ali El Selmi. The protest officially ends at 5pm with the departure of political parties, but some protesters vow to stage a sit-in. Finance Minister Hazem Beblawi says Egypt will accept the $3.2 billion International Monetary Fund package rejected by former Finance Minister Samir Radwan. 19 Clashes break out between Tahrir protesters and security forces, who use tear gas, batons and rubber bullets in attempts to clear the square. Talaat El Sadat, former MP and the last secretary-general of the disbanded NDP, dies of a heart attack at age 64. A nephew of assassinated president Anwar Sadat, El Sadat was an outspoken critic of former President Mubarak. Clashes continue as protesters play cat-and-mouse with security forces in their attempt to reoccupy Tahrir Square. EgyptAir as well as several other carriers cancel a number of flights amid security fears. The SCAF finally approves the so-called Treason Law which can be used to bar those accused of corruption from political activity. Culture Minister Emad Abu Ghazi resigns to protest the crackdown on Tahrir demonstrators. Sameh Ashour is appointed head of the Lawyers’ Syndicate. Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s Cabinet of Ministers reportedly resign, but the SCAF rejects the resignation until a new prime minister can be found. In a televised statement, Field Marshal Tantawi announces the SCAF has accepted Cabinet’s resignation, but ministers will stay on the job until a new unity government is formed. Presidential elections will be moved up to June 2012, and parliamentary elections are to proceed as scheduled. Protesters in Tahrir reject the speech and vow to continue their sit-in. |
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