Sisi delegates presidential powers in emergency law to PM

Sunday 26-10-2014 10:34 AM
Sisi delegates presidential powers in emergency law to PM
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CAIRO, Oct 26 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued on Sunday a decree delegating the presidential powers over the implementation of the emergency law to the prime minister.

The presidency said in a statement that the decree is a "follow-up" to an earlier decree issued on Friday declaring a three-month state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in certain regions in Sinai.

At least 30 military personnel were killed in a suicide blast which targeted a security checkpoint in Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid on Friday. The explosion also caused damage to two military vehicles. 

Shortly afterwards, a separate attack by unidentified gunmen on a security checkpoint in al-Arish killed three more security personnel.

The cabinet held an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss militant attacks. It agreed to submit a bill amending the law governing the military judiciary in a manner which would make “terrorism cases that threaten the state’s peace and security” within the law’s jurisdiction.

The military judiciary law will be implemented in areas of Sinai where the state of emergency was declared, the cabinet reminded.

Egypt's security forces have intensified their security measures in North Sinai in reaction to repeated militant attacks that target army and police officials, which rose significantly since the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last year. The attacks soon expanded to other areas of the country, including the capital.

A fact-sheet prepared by Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs put the death toll for terrorism acts which took place since January 2011 and until April 2014 at 971, including 664 security personnel. The number of casualties significantly rose since then.

Reviewing statements and press releases by security forces, Aswat Masriya counted the death of 82 people – 62 security personnel and 20 civilians, in the past two months in the Sinai Peninsula. The number is over four times that of those killed in the Peninsula during the months of June and July; 17 people including eight security personnel and nine civilians.

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