CAIRO: Independent MP Mostafa Bakry was hospitalized after fainting during a heated discussion about Egypt exporting gas to Israel at a People's Assembly session on Sunday. Akram Al-Shaer, a Muslim Brotherhood MP, told Daily News Egypt that Bakry fainted after "a provoking discussion with MPs affiliated with the National Democratic Party (NDP) who were defending their lousy government. "Bakry is currently at Al-Salam hospital, Al-Shaer said. Last Tuesday, the Administrative Court upheld a ruling demanding a halt on Egyptian gas exports to Israel; however the government refuses to implement the ruling, whose appeal will be heard in February. Despite the scheduled appeal, the court had stipulated that the ruling should have been implemented immediately after the verdict was handed out. Another fiery session reportedly took place Saturday at the PA between opposition and NDP members over the same issue. During Saturday's session, Ashraf Badr, a Muslim Brotherhood MP, threatened NDP MP Hassan Nashat Al-Qassas with his shoe when the latter accused opposition groups of "working against the government and public welfare, according to Sobhy Saleh, an MB parliamentarian. Saleh said he was standing next to Badr at the session and snatched the shoe from his hands then calmed him down. "Badr did not throw his shoe at Al-Qassas or anyone else. He threw it in the air, Saleh said. According to Saleh, Al-Qassas "accused opposition groups of wreaking havoc in the country. "The NDP and the government are the ones responsible for this crisis. Egypt's weak reaction to the war in Gaza is a big catastrophe to all Egyptians and not only to the Egyptian government, Saleh added. "All that we, as opposition forces, are asking from the government is to abide by court rulings to earn the respect of its citizens, he added. Meanwhile, Al-Shaer said the government's refusal to execute the court ruling regarding gas exports to Israel is "against the law, yet NDP members continue to side with the government. PA Chairman Fathi Sorour referred Badr to the PA's disciplinary committee.
