The Freedom and Justice Party on Tuesday threatened to “continue the suspension of parliamentary sessions and to delay writing of the constitution if the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces does not carry out its promise to People’s Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny concerning the cabinet reshuffle.”
The FJP said it would participate in the upcoming “Correction of the Path” protest on Friday while playing down the significance of the statements made by ministers in Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri’s cabinet in which they said there would be no cabinet reshuffle. The FJP said that “no government can function without the consent of the parliamentary majority.”
FJP Executive Office member Saad al-Husseini told Al-Masry Al-Youm that “it is not suitable for ministers to say that Parliament has no right to change them.”
“Any minister who utters such words is a failure and is rejected by the people,” he said. “No government can remain without the majority’s consent.”
FJP MP Emad Eddin Mohamed said “There will be a cabinet reshuffle in the Ministries of Supply, Foreign Affairs, Health and Petroleum.”
FJP MP and Brotherhood Shura Council Member Ahmed Abdel Rahman said, “The SCAF promised a cabinet reshuffle, and we wait until Sunday when Parliament holds sessions to find out what will happen and act accordingly.”
Abdel Rahman said there are a number of measures that can be taken by the People’s Assembly if the cabinet reshuffle does not take place, claiming that “all parliamentary forces agreed on the cabinet reshuffle, and that the dispute in Parliament only concerns the suspension of sessions.”
Abdel Rahman went on to say that the revolution is ongoing and that every Friday Brotherhood members take to the streets. The Brotherhood “will not allow anyone to abort the revolution,” he said.
FJP member Mohsen Radi said, “If the SCAF insists on not implementing the cabinet reshuffle, then it is not taking the people’s side…and in this case, Parliament will make the appropriate decision.”
He went on to tell Al-Masry Al-Youm that “there is a conspiracy… the closer we come to 30 June the clearer the conspiracy becomes to the people.”
We will “continue to escalate matters during the next Parliament session and will exert public pressure,” said Mohamed.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
