The Freedom and Justice Party will continue suspending People’s Assembly’s sessions if Egypt’s military leaders do not replace the Cabinet, according to an FJP member of Parliament.
The leaders also said the party would participate in a protest Friday to correct the path of the revolution and downplayed statements from ministers in the current Cabinet denying an imminent reshuffle.
The government cannot stay if the parliamentary majority does not want it to remain, the party added.
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, an FJP lawmaker, said his party will wait for a response from the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces until Sunday, when the People’s Assembly is set to resume its sessions.
“The lack of response on the part of the SCAF means that the Parliament will continue to stop working … this will delay the writing of the constitution. So is the SCAF going to bear responsibility for this in front of the nation?” he asked.
The People’s Assembly can carry out any number of procedural tactics to pressure the SCAF if it does not reshuffle the Cabinet, adding that all political powers represented in the People’s Assembly support the shake-up but only differ on the suspension of parliamentary sessions.
Saad al-Husseiny, a member of the party’s executive office, said, “The SCAF pledged to carry out a reshuffle out of respect for the desire of the People’s Assembly. We hope it will fulfill its pledge.”
“Ministers should not say the Parliament cannot dismiss them: Are they sticking their tongues out at the Parliament or what?” Husseiny told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “Any minister who says so is rejected by the people … a government cannot stay without the approval of the majority. The ministerial reshuffle will be presented to the People’s Assembly for discussion.”
Mohsen Rady, another member of the party’s executive office, said if the SCAF insists on keeping the current government, then it would not be taking the side of the people and in that event, Parliament would take appropriate action.
Rady added that there is a conspiracy that is becoming clearer as the date for the handover of power draws closer and Parliament continues to be flooded with crises. He did not specify what that conspiracy was.
Mohamed Emad Eddin, also an FJP lawmaker, said a reshuffle would be implemented and include the supply and domestic trade, health, petroleum and foreign ministries. He added that Parliament would continue to pressure the SCAF when the People’s Assembly holds its session on Sunday.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
