Official sources say the government is gearing up to extend Egypt’s longstanding state of emergency, which officially expires on 31 May.
While the sources did not indicate the duration of the extension, they hinted that the state of emergency would be extended by an additional two-year period–or until a new anti-terrorism law is approved, whichever comes first–as happened in 2006 and 2008.
A presidential request to this effect will be submitted to lawmakers for approval before the end of the current parliamentary session.
Sources also say that new anti-terrorism legislation has yet to be finalized, and that it is unlikely to be ready for parliamentary discussion before the end of the session–even though this had been an element of President Hosni Mubarak’s electoral platform.
The government plans to provide parliament with justifications for the extension, sources add, particularly in light of the rising numbers of criminal and terrorist acts committed in the region.
Initially declared in 1981, the state of emergency was afterward extended every three years until 2006, after which the government began extending it for two-year periods.
Since its inception, the state of emergency–which grants the government sweeping powers of arrest–has been roundly condemned by opposition figures and rights activists who claim it is used to stifle political dissent.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
