Two committees in the People's Assembly recommended Thursday the removal and prosecution of Egypt's public prosecutor and interior minister in light of recurrent violence over the transitional period, the most recent being violence at a Wednesday football match in Port Said that left at least 71 people dead and more than 300 injured.
Osama Yassin, head of the Youth Committee, addressed the People’s Assembly with a the list of recommendations that his committee and the Defense and National Security Committee came up with after a meeting Thursday morning.
“It is a police that watches its people being killed, it is a police that does not protect its people,” said Yassin, who represents the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. “I wonder why they [policemen] get salaries … it is better for them to stay at home and leave their places for honest ones."
In reference to the "hidden hands" and "third party" that officials have been blaming for violent incidents since Mubarak's resignation, Yassen said: “We also demand the sacking of the general prosecutor so that we can have precise and transparent investigations and so that we are not told about unknown parties."
Violence erupted inside the Port Said football stadium Wednesday following a match between Masry, the local club, and Ahly, Egypt's leading team. Thousands of Masry fans spilled onto the pitch after Masry recorded a rare 3-1 win in the match, overwhelming Ahly supporters and leaving at least 313 injured in addition to those killed.
Central Security Forces were accused of standing still and abstaining from interfering to end the violence.
The speaker of the People’s Assembly has called for an extraordinary session to question the cabinet about the incident.
State-run Al-Ahram newspaper's website reported that the legislative committees also recommended trying the entire board of the Egyptian Football Association, which is chaired by Samir Zaher.
MP Farid Ismail, the vice chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee, told state TV that 90 percent of Egyptians view Mahmoud as a vestige of the former Mubarak regime.
"They should stay at home; let them take an open-ended vacation," Ismail said, referring to the officials many are blaming for the crisis.
Egypt's chief coroner Ihsan Kamil Gorgy said in a press statement that his office has found gunshot and knife wounds on the bodies of the 51 football fans they have inspected thus far.
Earlier today, a group of political parties and youth-led entities called on the People’s Assembly to withdraw confidence from the military-appointed cabinet headed by Kamal al-Ganzouri.
However, Parliament does not have the jurisdiction to remove the cabinet. According to the interim constitution, the elected Parliament is not entitled to move a vote of no confidence and only the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces can dismiss the cabinet.
Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has directed his ministry, as well as Egyptian diplomatic missions around the world, to lower their flags to half-mast from Thursday to Saturday to mourn the deaths.
