The Finance Ministry sent copies of the state budget to all members of the Shura Council to review before it is discussed on Tuesday.
No copies were sent to the media.
Meanwhile, a number of movements, political parties and rights organisations criticised the Hesham Qandil Cabinet for submitting the state budget for the fiscal year 2013/2014 to the Shura Council without making it publicly available for citizens on the ministry’s website or in any other way, in violation of Article 55 of the constitution.
Fifteen parties and movements, including the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, Dostour and the Popular Socialists Alliance parties, the April 6th Youth Movement, said in a joint statement that by failing to allow citizens to participate in making such decisions, the government is following in the footsteps of Mubarak's governments.
The statement called on the Finance Minister and Speaker of the Shura Council to make the budget available to the public in conformance with Article 47 of the Constitution which states that the right to receive receive information, data, documents is a right guaranteed by the state.
Edited translation from Al-Masry al-Youm
