CAIRO: Egypt's ruling military council, which on Sunday ostensibly took complete control of the country, said on Monday they will hand over power to an elected president at the end of the month. “The army will hand over power to the elected president in a big ceremony end-month that the entire world will witness,” the official news agency MENA quoted Major-General Mohamed El Assar, a member of the ruling army council, as saying. “Egypt is a modern democratic country that upholds all democratic values,” the statement went on. But there is a caveat. Under the country's previous constitution, the president was the head of the military, but on Sunday, a new constitutional declaration did away with that and puts the military in firm control of the country's political and economic future. Activists, politicians and observers say the move is paramount to a military coup in the country and makes the presidency weak and potentially impotent. Last Thursday, Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that one-third of Parliament was void, which then dissolved the entire legislative body. The SCAF says it will be in complete control of the legislature until a new parliament is elected. The court also ruled to keep old regime loyalists and election finalist Ahmed Shafiq in the presidential race, after it argued the political isolation law, or “Azl”, was “unconstitutional.” The declaration grants back power to head of SCAF Hussein Tantawi, who is also the Minister of Defense. Egyptian activists are calling the moves a “military coup” and the deceleration “another step in cementing a lingering presence [of the military] and a hold over public life by the military.” The declaration states that the elected president will give his oath in front of the general assembly of the high constitutional court. Until Egyptians vote for another parliament, the SCAF will hold control of the country and its government. SCAF said they wish and aim to hand over power to an elected civil power, following the elections, yet they will remain at the top of the power chain until the legislative body is in place. The declaration states that the president cannot declare war before the approval of the council. In case of riots or national security issues, the president can call on the army to intervene to “protect public property and ensure stability.” The declaration has united Egyptians in rejecting it and the military junta, arguing that the SCAF are granting themselves uncontrolled power over the country Influential public figure Mohamed ElBaradie called it “a contentious for the militarization of the country and a lapse to the revolution.” Mahmoud Hussien, general coordinator and spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood said “it could obstruct the new president from following his agenda.” Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former presidential candidate, warned that the declaration is a “full military coup that must be confronted.”
