The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee in the People's Assembly decided on Sunday to review all the decrees and laws issued by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in order to either cancel or amend them.
The decision came after the assembly discussed a motion submitted by MP Sayyed Askar, chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee, which handled the SCAF's issuance of a new law regulating the structure of Al-Azhar three days before the assembly first convened. Askar said there was no need to rush with issuing the bill.
Askar also questioned the decision by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, to chair the panel tasked with preparing the law, which was later issued with articles enabling him to nominate Al-Azhar's supreme board of scholars.
Askar referred to an earlier ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court, which said that the country's president is entitled to issue enforceable laws that cannot stand any delay in case the assembly is not convened, but in the same time is required to introduce his decrees to the assembly 15 days after they are adopted.
The draft bill proposed by leaders of Al-Azhar to reform the oldest Sunni Muslim institution has sparked controversy among some young preachers, who dismiss it as a move by the old guard to tighten their grip on power.
Meanwhile, the legislative committee's head, Mahmoud al-Khodeiry, said the SCAF is fundamentally entitled to issue laws based on the interim constitution issued in March 2011. "We are not discussing whether the law is flawless; still, as MPs, we have the right to amend or cancel it.
Meanwhile, the committee also witnessed a controversy over a bill proposed by MPs Mohamed al-Omda and Gamal Hanafi amending articles at the presidential elections law in a way that prevents forgery in the vote counting process.
The committee decided to postpone discussions on the proposal to Monday. MP Saad Aboud warned that a "civil war" might erupt if the amendments are not installed to the law, saying that its current form disables presidential runners from proving any incidents of vote rigging.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
