Egyptian Court Invalidates Parliamentary Election; Allows ex-Mubarak Official to Run
An Egyptian court has invalidated the recent parliamentary election calling it “unconstitutional” and necessitating a return to the ballot boxes. A second election-related issue was settled when the court ruled that a former prime minister under ousted President Hosni Mubarak will be allowed to run for the presidency despite a law banning Mubarak-era officials from seeking public office. The rulings were handed down only two days before the presidential run-off election is scheduled to be held. It pits Mohamed Morsi, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Faith and Freedom Party against Ahmed Shafiq, a longtime confidant of Mubarak. Shafiq’s candidacy has been controversial because of the desire by many to move past the Mubarak years. When the Islamist-controlled parliament was set up in April, it immediately passed the law now struck down by the court that banned officials who served in Mubarak’s government during the last ten year of his reign from running for election. But many also fear that electing the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate to head a government dominated by Islamist parties will inevitably lead to rule by religious law.
Palestinian Chief Negotiator Challenges Quartet to Prove Relevance
Charging it with failing to hold Israel’s feet to the fire regarding its peace process obligations, Palestinian Chief Negotiator Sa’ib Ariqat on Thursday challenged the Quartet to prove it remains relevant. The Quartet is the international sponsors of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations that include the United States; United Nations; United Kingdom; European Union; and Russia. Alleging that the Quartet ignores Israeli violations relating to building in communities located on land Israel acquired in the 1967 war, in his statement Ariqat asserted that, “Any Quartet calls for a resumption of negotiation in the absence of such basic requirements will be counterproductive and only lead to a meaningless process that is incapable of bringing about peace.”
Clinton Praises Lebanese Government, Army, Ignoring Hizbullah
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the Lebanese government and its army in a phone call to President Najib Mikati on Thursday. Clinton reportedly expressed “strong support” and praised recent security measures by the army. For Mideast observers, the relationship underscores the dichotomy between Washington’s conflicting positions regarding Hamas and Hizbullah. Both are considered to be terrorist organizations; and both are listed on the State Department list of foreign terrorist groups. But while lawmakers from both parties invoke the US law that prohibits relations with governments that include entities on the terror list as the reason Washington cannot endorse a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, the admonition is visibly lacking from the US-Lebanon scenario even though Hizbullah controls 21 out of 30 cabinet seats in the government.
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