The Egyptian Election Committee expressed its anger towards what it called “insults from some” in a statement issued on Monday. The committee said some people are “talking irresponsibly about it,” which is preventing it from doing its job. The committee was formed by the ruling military council to be in charge of the country's first presidential elections. The committee reached out to the council, calling on it to “practice its authority and allow it to continue its work.” Egyptian rights advocates said the military council gave ultimate power to the committee, whose decisions cannot be appealed or discussed. The committee has recently disqualified two candidates, former head of intelligence Omar Soliman and ultra-conservative Hazem Abu Ismail. Ismail lashed back at the committee who discarded him as his mother holds dual citizenship. He said that was not true and called on his supporters to march toward the ministry of defense at the end of April to protest the decision. The sit-in turned bloody when the sit-in was attacked by militants, leaving 15 dead and on Friday the military forcibly evacuated the area, assaulted protesters and journalists and arrested hundreds of people.
