The Egyptian Parliament approved on Sunday a presidential decree renewing the state of emergency nationwide for three months starting 26 October, due to the critical security and health circumstances in the country. The approval by the House comes after a speech by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on the decision to renew the state of emergency nationwide. Madbouly stressed on efforts exerted by the state to safeguard its capabilities and achieve progress in all fields, despite the difficult conditions faced by Egypt and the entire world amid the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic which has pushed global growth rates down and led to the suspension of projects and rise of unemployment. Despite the pandemic, Egypt has been among very few states to achieve positive growth in the elapsed fiscal year, Madbouly said. He pointed at instability witnessed by several states in the region, and its negative implications on Egypt and the whole region. “Such threats to our national security are offset…by our vigilant armed forces and policemen. Egypt will continue to be powerful and no one will be able to undermine the country,” he said. He reiterated the government's commitment to not use extraordinary measures, except to the extent that guarantees the balance between the protection of public freedoms and national security requirements. The state of emergency, which was first declared in April 2017 after two deadly church bombings that killed dozens of people, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and recently containing the Coronavirus crisis. It has been renewed since for periods not exceeding three months, in accordance with the Egyptian constitution.
