Mursi, Egypt judiciary in tug of war

Egypt’s top court yesterday rejected a decree by President Mohamed Mursi to reinstate the parliament it ruled invalid, setting him on a collision course with the military which says the rule of law must be respected. “All the rulings and decisions of the Supreme Constitutional Court are final and not subject to appeal... and are binding for all state institutions,” the court said in a statement. The powerful Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) echoed the court in a statement saying the constitution and rule of law must be upheld. The SCAF, which ruled Egypt after former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year, underlined the “importance of the constitution in light of the latest developments”, the official Mena news agency reported. Islamists scored a crushing victory in three-stage parliamentary elections held from November last year, with the Muslim Brotherhood, Mursi’s former organisation, heading the lower house. But the military dissolved parliament last month after the top court made its controversial ruling a day before the second round of the presidential poll that saw Mursi become Egypt’s first democratically elected head of state. The Supreme Constitutional Court had said certain articles in the law governing the parliamentary elections were invalid, annulling the Islamist-led house. But Mursi on Sunday ordered the lower house to reconvene, and parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni has invited members to meet at 2pm today, in line with the presidential decree. The Muslim Brotherhood said it “will participate (today) in a million-man march in support of the president’s decision and reinstating parliament”. The court’s move could spark a confrontation between Mursi, who stepped down from the Brotherhood when he was sworn in last month, and the SCAF as well as the judiciary. But the presidency insisted the decree “neither contradicts nor contravenes the ruling by the constitutional court”. The ruling does not need to be implemented immediately, said presidential spokesman Yasser Ali, arguing that Mursi’s decision “takes into account the higher interest of the state and the people”. His decree also stipulates the organisation of new parliamentary elections two months after the approval by referendum of Egypt’s new constitution and the adoption of a new law regulating parliament. The latest confrontation prompted the US yesterday to urge Egypt to respect “democratic principles”. “Developments are unfolding quickly and we are monitoring them and in touch with Egypt’s leaders,” said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor. “Ultimately, though, these issues are for Egyptians to decide in a manner that respects democratic principles, is transparent, and protects the rights of all Egyptians.” The constitutional court stressed that it was “not a part of any political conflict... but the limit of its sacred duty is the protection of the texts of the constitution”. The SCAF also insisted that the texts of the constitution must be upheld.