Egypt's government-run National Accord Conference has lent it's support to constitutional provisions denying the president the authoritiy to strike arms deals.
In a meeting on Thursday, the conference’s Commission on Judicial Authorities said that the parliament should have the right to oversee and monitor foreign donations given to the state or civil society organizations.
Law no. 29/1972 empowers the country’s president to issue decrees that act as laws concerning the signing of arms deals.
Despite strong opposition, the Egyptian parliament renewed the law throughout the reign of former president Hosni Mubarak, citing the secrecy required for arms deals.
But observers believe that Egypt’s current situation does not require confidentiality over arms deals since the country is not in a state of war.
Egypt’s largest Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, says that Egypt’s presidents have failed to provide details on arms deals signed since the 1970s.
