CAIRO: Independent, Muslim Brotherhood and opposition MPs filed 76 investigation requests to the People s Assembly (PA), which will be discussed in next Saturday's parliamentary session. The large number of requests, however, does not pose a threat to the government, Mohamed Khalil Kwaitah, MP affiliated with the National Democratic Party (NDP), told Daily News Egypt. "It is the MP's basic right that is granted to him by the Egyptian constitution to monitor the government's performance, Kwaitah said. Akram Al-Shaer, PA member affiliated with the Brotherhood, has filed six of the 76 requests. They vary, he said, from investigations into a plant in Port Said that allegedly disposes of chemical waste in underprivileged areas to an inquest into a Social Fund for Development project, which Al-Shaer said failed to reach its objectives. Al-Shaer s other requests also demand investigations into the Radio and Television Unions, as well as governmental authorities who allegedly claim public land. He also accused some NDP members of embezzling money granted to the Ministry of Agriculture by the International Monetary Fund for land reclamation projects. Other requests filed by MPs tackled issues such as the deterioration of the education system, the spread of corruption, price hikes, road conditions and a transportation system that leads to an increasing number of accidents. "Some of the filed accusations might be valid, while others can turn out to be wrong, Kwaitah said, adding that looking into the investigation requests is one of the PA s responsibilities and that the government maintains the right to respond to any accusation.
