Members of the Egyptian parliament lashed out at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Manpower Thursday accusing them of dragging their feet on vital issues. MP Mohamed Queita issued a two-week ultimatum requiring the Foreign Ministry to establish a fund to help resolve the problems Egyptians face abroad. The representative from the Foreign Ministry Mohamed Kamal requested that the discussion be postponed until the ministry has determined the exact shape the fund will take. Kamal was also heavily criticized by MP Ahmed Abu Higgy, undersecretary of the manpower committee, who said, "Your bureaucracy fails to resolve many problems from which are sons abroad are suffering." The head of the Egyptian Community Association in Europe Essam Abdel Samad criticized the Ministry of Manpower, saying, "The ministry does not know how many Egyptians live abroad or how many work as slaves or even die every year trying to migrate illegally to Italy or Greece," he said. "We do not even have the right to vote from abroad," Abdel Samad continued. "Why do you think our best scientists all emigrated from the country?" Translated from the Arabic Edition.
