EGYPT ?

[anneasquith]

WATCHING NEWS 24......IS IT TOO EARLY TO SAY " POWER TO THE PEOPLE " ?

[R1Geezer]

I though the Brotherhood was just another name for all muslims together.

[jno]

could be, but not all co-ops are *The* Co-op, if you see what I mean.

Here's Wikipedia on it:

http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Muslim_brotherhood

It says (contrary to what I said above) that there are branches outside Egypt, though often suppressed; and that it's always opposed violence, and in fact condemned 9/11.

[R1Geezer]

Ok I see. it's a sub group of rather spiffing chaps then! ignore the above I thought we where talking about the standard infidel slaying lot!

[jno]

they've become influential in Egypt because for years they've been providing social services (health and so on) to the poor, which the state can't afford. This sort of thing is a good way to make Islam popular. I'd sooner Egypt's government remained secular, but I don't know if it will pan out that way: the current western-backed regime is discredited, and military rule is always a dodgy option.

[AB Editor]

Hi, I've added a twitter search for Egypt. Hopefully will include some breaking news - should there be any.

Does anyone know if there are any political institutions in Egypt comparable to Parliament or Congress? Or will such entities have to be formed quick-sharp?

Spare Ed

[anneasquith]

no expert ed. but as egypt was not a democratic country wouldnt have thought so. certainly any with any say in the running of the country,

[DTCwordfan]

It is a 'semi- Presidency' system, in that there is a Government of a lower and upper house - however Mubarak holds certain controls over them, - so the system is effectively in place.........

The People’s Assembly (Maglis El-Shaab)The People's Assembly is the principal legislative body. Out of the assembly’s 454 deputies, 444 are directly elected while no more than 10 may be appointed by the President (article 87 of the Constitution). The Constitution reserves fifty percent of the assembly seats for ‘workers and peasants’. The assembly sits for a five-year term but can be dissolved earlier by the President. All seats are voted on in each election. Four hundred seats are voted on using proportional representation while the remaining forty-four are elected in local majority votes.

The People’s Assembly may force the resignation of the executive cabinet by voting a motion of censure. For this reason, the Prime Minister and his cabinet are necessarily from the dominant party or coalition in the assembly. In the case of a president and assembly from opposing parties, this leads to the situation known as cohabitation. While motions of censure are periodically proposed by the opposition following government actions that it deems highly inappropriate, they are purely rhetorical; party discipline ensures that, throughout a parliamentary term, the government is never overthrown by the assembly.

[edit] The Consultative Council (Maglis El-Shura)The Shura Council is the 264-member upper house of Parliament created in 1980. In the Shura Council 176 members are directly elected and 88 members are appointed by the President of the Republic for six-year terms. One half of the Shura Council is renewed every three years.

The Shura Council's legislative powers are limited. On most matters of legislation, the People’s Assembly retains the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two hous

[jake-the-peg]

I wouldn't think you'd call them spiffing chaps Geezer they're a pretty conservative bunch.

I doubt as you so concisely put it there ar any women in the brotherhood!

However they are a significant minority and they are non-violent.

It is disappointing - and a little concerning - that they are not intending to contest the elections.

Let's hope their plan is not to stand on the sidelines trying to undermine whoever wins

[jno]

there's a quite influential Muslim Sisterhood, and some suggestion that they should merge

http://carnegieendowm....cfm?fa=view&id=23002