The Egyptian press reported Thursday on Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Fayza Abul Naga's refusal of conditional American aid, Nour Farahat's expectation that the elections to be canceled if the Emergency law is applied, and Tarek al-Bashery's opinion that the electoral law is unconstitutional. Youm7 The coordinating committee of Democratic Alliance sent a letter to Ibrahim Abdul Moez, head of the Supreme Committee for Elections, to inquire if its legal for political party members to participate in elections for the People's Assembly as individual candidates if they are excluded from parties. Dr. Wahed Abdul Majid, an official on the Coordinating Committee, and leaders of the Freedom and Justice and al-Wafd parties decided to expel 206 members from the parties in order to run for the People's Assembly and Shura Council as individual candidates. Al-Ahram “Egypt strongly refuses any conditional aid, dictates or pressures,” said the Egyptian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Fayza Abul Naga. The U.S. Senate is discussing a law for foreign aid that would place conditions for American aid to Egypt. Al-Akhbar Amr Hamzawy, political science professor and founder of Freedom Egypt party, criticized missing the time line to transfer power to a civilian authority in Egypt. Hamzawy said the electoral law allows members of dissolved National Democratic Party to capture 40 percent of parliament seats and that such a situation is unacceptable after January 25 Revolution. “The military council did not discuss or consult the law with political powers, ” he said. Al-Masry Al-Youm Law and philosophy professor Mohamed Nour Farahat said the Emergency Law could not be extended more than six months unless a popular poll is conducted, according to constitutional article 59. Farahat also said the Egyptian Ministry of Interior can control the uncertain security situation in Egypt and combat thuggery by applying normal rules. He expects the cancelation of elections if the Emergency Law is kept in effect. Al-Shorouq Tarek al-Bashery, the head of the Constitutional Reforms Committee and first deputy Head of State Council, said the upcoming elections for the Shura Council and the People's Assembly may be invalid. He said allocating two-thirds of seats to representatives elected by proportional list and a third to those elected as independents is against the constitution. Bashery criticized the military council's statement that invited People Assembly to hold its first session two months after the elections, saying the elected council must begin its work as soon as possible. Osama Ghazaly Harb, head of the Democratic Front party, wishes the military council to stay in power for the next two years to achieve stability in Egypt. Harb expects the president of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, or Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Sami Anan to run for president. He also expects that army will not completely withdraw to their barracks. Harb added not all members of the now-dissolved NDP are corrupt, and some of them are honest people that should be accepted in political life. Regarding presidential candidates, Harb said Dr. Mohamed el-Baradei is to be the first Prime Minister, Amr Moussa was an integral part of the former regime, Hisham el-Bastawisi cannot take the responsibility of the president of Egypt. Harb said Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh is more acceptable than Mohamed Selim al-Awa and Hazem Abu Ismail but could not imagine him as Egypt's president. Al-Gomhorreya The Egyptian Bloc and Democratic Alliance, the two largest and important political coalitions in Egypt, are studying forming a united national list to participate in upcoming parliamentary elections.
