CAIRO: The Barack Obama administration warned on Monday Egypt's military junta over its recent moves that are being seen in Cairo as a power grab and potential military coup. The US government urged the military to push forward with the democratic transition to an elected civilian government and said the failure to do so could see American aid to the country stalled. Both the State Department and the Pentagon – which oversees the close military links between the two countries – voiced their concerns over decisions by Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to increase their power over the country's political sphere. The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled last Thursday that one-third of parliament seats are void, as they had been reserved for independent candidates, but saw party affiliates win. 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." State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday at a press conference that Egypt was at a critical juncture and the United States was “concerned by decisions that appear to prolong the military's hold on power.” “We call on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to restore popular and international confidence in the democratic transition process by following through on their stated commitments,” Nuland told a news briefing. The United States, the main financial supporter of Egypt's military, will hold the council to its promises for an inclusive constitutional drafting process, the timely seating of a democratically elected parliament, and the swift, permanent transfer of power to a civilian government, Nuland said. “They've made a commitment to the Egyptian people, and we want to see them meet it,” Nuland said. “This is an evolving situation that we are watching closely. The decisions that are taken in this crucial period are naturally going to have an impact on the nature of our engagement with the government and with the SCAF moving forward,” she said.
