CAIRO: Deputy Egyptian Prime Minister Ali el-Selmy on Saturday denied having resigned, underlining that he will never give up his supra-constitutional principles document. “The Muslim Brotherhood took part in the drafting of the document and they had a very simple objection to it,” el-Selmy said on a broadcast of “Egypt Decides” on Masr Tuqarer. “The Muslim Brotherhood asked me not to issue the document as a constitutional declaration.” Those who presented the document had reviewed all earlier drafts, he added. “Leaving my post is up to me or up to the Egyptian peoples' will,” el-Selmy added, referencing the demonstration scheduled for November 18, one demand of which will be his resignation. He added that the Egyptian peoples' will is not calling for his resignation because the supra-constitutional document has the support of the National Association for Change, The Egyptian Bloc and 125 other political parties as well as members of civil society. Al-Wafd Party Chairman and presidential candidate El-Sayyed el-Badawy and Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party Mohamed Morsi have agreed on the document, save for items nine and ten. However the Deputy Prime Minister fiercely defended the items, claiming that they are similar to Article 182 of the 1971 Constitution. Item nine mandates that the ruling military council is exclusively responsible for the armed forces' budget and affairs. According to the document, only the military council can authorize legislation regarding the armed forces. It also stipulates that the Egyptian president is Commander in Chief of the armed forces, and the Minister of Defense is the General Commander of the Armed forces. The document grants the president the power to declare war upon approval from the Supreme Council and the People's Assembly. RELATED STORY: - Sharaf and Selmy meet to discuss constituional principles - Free Labor Union supports supra-constitutional document - Democratic Alliance to discuss al-Selmy document Sunday - Nour: Amendments to supra-constitutional doc incomplete - Free Egyptians refuse pressure on Selmy to resign - Al-Awa criticizes supra-constitutional document - Muslim Brotherhood calls for the ousting of Deputy PM - Selmy to amend Articles 9, 10 of supra-constitutional principles
