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| Egypt army dissolves parliament, suspends constitution Posted: 13 Feb 2011 07:29 AM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new military rulers said on Sunday they would keep control of the country for six months or until parliamentary and presidential elections are held following constitutional amendments. A statement read on state television also said the Higher Military Council was dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution while a committee drafts an amended constitution.
"The higher council of the armed forces will manage the affairs of the country for a temporary period of six months or until the end of elections to the upper and lower houses of parliament, and presidential elections," it said. The decisions it took included "dissolving the upper and lower houses of parliament" and "establishing a committee to amend some clauses of the constitution and defining the rules for a popular referendum on this". President Hosni Mubarak stepped down on Friday after 18 days of popular protests against his 30-year rule. The army promised democratic reforms when it assumed power. The Higher Military Council's decisions were given as follows: 1) suspending the constitution 2) forming a committee to amend some constitutional clauses and defining the rules of a popular referendum on this 3) dissolving both houses of parliament 4) the Higher Military Council will run the country in a temporary capacity for six months or until the end of elections to both houses of parliament and the presidency 5) the head of the council will represent Egypt abroad 6) the Higher Military Council will issue laws in the transitional period 7) Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq will continue in office until the formation of a new government 8) holding elections to the two houses of parliament and the presidency 9) the state commits itself to implementing international treaties and commitments it is party to (Writing by Dina Zayed and Andrew Hammond, editing by Alistair Lyon and Tim Pearce) Copyright © 2011 Reuters | ||
| Maliki fills power, trade, other Iraq cabinet jobs Posted: 13 Feb 2011 07:29 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved eight new ministers on Sunday but Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has yet to decide who will hold sensitive security posts in the cabinet such as defence and interior. Maliki's new government was approved in late December after nine months of political wrangling but he left 10 cabinet posts with acting leaders, keeping the Defence Ministry, which runs the army, Interior, which controls the police, and National Security for himself temporarily.
Iraq is trying to solidify its nascent democracy in the face of a stubborn insurgency nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, before U.S. troops complete their withdrawal by year's end. Parliament approved new electricity and trade ministers, two key positions covering provision of basic services and food, the focus of recent protests in Baghdad and the provinces. The new power minister, Raad Shallal, has worked for the ministry since 1987 and holds a masters degree in engineering. Intermittent electricity is one of Iraqis' biggest gripes. Current production is only 7,000 megawatts, about 5,000 megawatts short of demand, acting Electricity Minister Hussain al-Shahristani said on Saturday as he announced a plan to give Iraqis 1,000 kilowatt-hours of free power each month. The new trade minister is Khairalla Hasan, a Kurdish veterinarian with 20 years' experience in trade in Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. Food and power have been at the heart of numerous recent street protests, which seem likely to grow with the approach of summer, when temperatures rise above 50 degrees Celsius. Maliki also announced his picks for the posts of women's affairs, tribal affairs, muncipalities, civilian community affairs, national reconciliation and a minister of state without portfolio, and said he would submit other nominees to parliament within days. "I would like to assure members of parliament I will bring up the security ministers to parliament very soon to be approved," Maliki told lawmakers. (Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; writing by Ahmed Rasheed; editing by Tim Pearce) Copyright © 2011 Reuters |
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