Mohamed Morsy will not reinstate the dissolved Parliament

Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's President

Presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali stated on Monday that Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy has no intentions to reinstate the dissolved Parliament.

The possibility of such a decision were discussed in Egypt after Mohamed Morsy cancelled SCAF’s Constitutional Addendum and amended the Provisional Constitution issued by SCAF in March 2011.

Egypt’s SCAF (Supreme Council of the Armed Forces) issued the Constitutional Addendum on 17 June 2012, right before the second round of Egypt’s first democratic presidential election. The future president’s powers were significantly limited according to this document, and SCAF became de facto the ruler of the country having the executive and legislative authority. Egypt’s Parliament was also dissolved after the High Constitutional Court ruled that this parliament was elected under the law which was unconstitutional. This move sparked a wave of different reactions in Egyptian society and among the analysts and politicians as well. Some of them praised the Parliament’s dissolution by SCAF, as the current Parliament was strongly dominated by Islamists and did not represent the entire Egyptian society, some of them criticized the decision and stressed this is another move made by SCAF to establish it’s dictatorship and to maintain control of the country.

After Mohamed Morsy was sworn in as a new Egypt’s President, he made an attempt to reinstate the dissolved Parliament, but on 10 July 2012, after the Court confirmed the previous verdict, Mohamed Morsy declared that he will respect the law.

Yasser Ali, President's spokesperson

Yesterday Mohamed Morsy took a decision which was surprising for many. He issued the new Constitutional Declaration, according to which he received the full legislative and executive power, has the right to represent Egypt on the international arena and sign the international treaties and can set all the public policies. He also has the authority to appoint the new Constituent Assembly in case the current one will be prevented from carrying out its responsibilities.

President’s official spokesperson Yasser Ali also stated legal advisers confirmed that Mohamed Morsy as a President has the authority to abolish the SCAF’s Constitutional Addendum, what he made on Sunday.

But the dissolved by SCAF parliament will not be reinstated. Yasser Ali said the parliamentary election will be held within two months of the completion and approval of the new Constitution of Egypt.

It’s worth mentioning also, that Mohamed Morsy conducted the major changes in the top military ranks yesterday as he retired the head of SCAF and Minister of Defense Mohamed Hussein Tantawy and SCAF’s Chief of Staff Sami Annan. There were the rumors circulating in the press that Tantawy and Anan are held under house arrest. Yasse Ali completely denied it and said there is no house arrest and the retired generals are appointed as Morsy’s legal advisers and are the part of his presidential team.