Archive for Ahmed Fahmy

Al-Gomhurriya journalists protest chief’s firing

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October 21st, 2012

Journalists of the state-run Al-Gomhurriya newspaper on Sunday staged a protest outside the Shura Council to condemn its dismissal of the paper’s editor-in-chief.

Ahmed Fahmy, president of the Supreme Press Council, on Wednesday fired Gamal Abdel Rahim for publishing news that former military head Hussein Tantawi and former Chief of Staff Sami Anan were about to be banned from leaving Egypt. The justice minister denied the report.

The journalists chanted slogans against Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, decrying Brotherhood control of the Shura Council, Parliament’s upper house.

The Shura Council, which appoints the editors-in-chief of Egypt’s state newspapers, has postponed for a week the hearing of Abdel Rahim’s testimony.

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Syndicate objects to Shura Council’s suspension of news editor

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October 19th, 2012

 

The Journalists Syndicate issued a statement Thursday rejecting the suspension of state-run Al-Gomhurriya newspaper’s chief editor, Gamal Abdel Rahim, on charges that he was responsible for publishing false news about members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Shura Council speaker and Muslim Brotherhood member Ahmed Fahmy moved to suspend Rahim after the SCAF objected to a story Al-Gomhurriya ran on Wednesday, claiming that former SCAF chief Hussein Tantawi and his former deputy chief of staff, Sami Anan, had been banned from travel due to corruption charges levied against them.

Both the SCAF and President Mohamed Morsy’s administration quickly issued statements saying the story was untrue.

Edited translation from MENA

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Al-Gomhurriya editor suspended for reporting SCAF travel bans

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October 17th, 2012

Shura Council speaker Ahmed Fahmy, the head of the Supreme Press Council, decided on Wednesday to replace Al-Gomhurriya Chief Editor Gamal Abdel Rahim after the paper published false reports on Wednesday that former military council leaders Hussein Tantawi and Sami Anan were banned from leaving the country.

Fahmy appointed Abdel Azim al-Bably acting editor-in-chief until the next council session, which would discuss the matter.

Al-Gomhurriya had published on its front page that Tantawi and Anan are not allowed to travel outside Egypt. A judicial source had earlier denied that travel bans are in place for the two former military leaders.  

An official military source told state TV's website that the Armed Forces are deeply dissatisfied over the story and consider it a great insult to the leaders and symbols of the Armed Forces.

“The men of the Armed Forces demand that the media exercise precision and caution in dealing with stories about the military, lest they negatively impact Egyptian national security,” the source said.

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Confusion surrounds decision to relaunch Al-Shaab newspaper

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October 5th, 2012

 

The Supreme Press Council headed by Ahmed Fahmy announced on Thursday that the previously discontinued Al-Shaab newspaper would be re-established, and the council would pay the salaries of the employees for one year, despite claims that such a decision is legally impossible.

The council called on the Ministry of Finance to increase the current salaries of workers by LE200 and to transfer inactive journalists to other press institutions.

The step comes as an attempt to solve the problems of journalists in a number of state-run and privately-owned newspapers that are facing financial and administrative crises.

Al-Shaab newspaper was first issued by the Egyptian Labor Party in 1979 The Egyptian Labor Party was founded in September 1978 as a socialist party, before later adopting an Islamic ideology.

In 2000, the Political Parties’ Affairs Committee, dominated by the now-dissolved National Democratic Party, froze the activities of the Egyptian Labor Party due to internal disputes with regard to its chairmanship, and Al-Shaab was discontinued at that time.

The past few years have witnessed frequent sit-ins and protests on the part of Al-Shaab journalists who demand the return of the paper, despite the suspension of the party's activities.

Abdel Hamid Barakat told Egypt Independent that in March the former leaders of the Egyptian Labor Party founded the New Labor Party — of which Barakat is vice president — which issues the New Shaab newspaper. He differentiated between the frozen Egyptian Labor Party and its suspended newspaper, Al-Shaab, on one side; and the New Labor Party and its newspaper the New Shaab on the other.

The council’s decision to reinstate the Al-Shaab newspaper was not technically possible due to the fact that the Egyptian Labor Party is no longer active, and this decision will only further exacerbate the problems of the protesting journalists, Barakat said.

Barakat said it was not possible to re-issue a newspaper affiliated to a party whose activities have been frozen, adding that the Supreme Press Council should find jobs for journalists from the suspended newspaper.

Edited translation from MENA

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Journalists protest outside syndicate, Shura Council

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September 19th, 2012

Journalists from state-run news agency MENA, Al-Shaab and Al-Wafd newspapers staged protests Wednesday demanding better salaries and permanent employment for temporary or freelance workers.

MENA’s reporters protested outside the Shura Council, submitting a memo to its speaker, Ahmed Fahmy, who also heads the Supreme Council of Journalism, in which they demanded the agency’s budget be raised and reporters’ salaries be increased. They said the annual LE47 million budget is not enough to cover financial needs that exceed LE60 million, making bonuses meager.

Ali Qutb, one of the journalists, said, “The state gives no attention to MENA as if it was not its official news agency,” adding that bonuses disbursed are too low when compared to those given at other state institutions.

Reporters at Al-Shaab have also gone on an open-ended sit-in outside the Journalists Syndicate, decrying a halt to the paper’s operations and failure to disburse salaries. They said in a statement on Wednesday that there was no clear reason for the recent closure of the paper. The reporters demanded that the syndicate defend their rights, and threatened to proceed with the sit-in until salaries are disbursed and the newspaper reopened.
   
Reporters from the liberal Wafd party’s mouthpiece paper said they would stage an open-ended sit-in in response to the administration’s refusal to reinstate former chief editor Adel Sabry and its failure to give freelance reporters contracts.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Salafi party official declines Supreme Press Council appointment

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September 6th, 2012

Salafi Nour Party spokesperson Nader Bakkar declined an appointment to the Supreme Press Council, members of which were picked by the Shura Council on Tuesday.

Bakkar made the announcement after his appointment came under fire on social media.

“Thanks to all who have shown trust in me, but I decline the appointment and ask [Shura Council Speaker] Ahmed Fahmy to drop the appointment. The position should be entrusted to those qualified for it, out of respect for the rules of Sharia,” Bakkar said on Facebook. “There are public figures better capable of assuming the responsibilities of this field.”

Writers and journalists had criticized Bakkar's appointment and said it is part of the Muslim Brotherhood's attempt to establish hegemony over the state.

Jama'a al-Islamiya issued a statement on Wednesday in which it criticized the makeup of the council and the Brotherhood. “The policy of marginalization was one of the most important reasons that led to revolt against the former regime,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Diaa Rashwan, a political researcher and the vice president of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, described the appointments as unacceptable legally and ethically since the Shura Council itself is subject to dissolution, like the People's Assembly which was disbanded after a Supreme Constitutional Court ruling.

He added that the appointment of the council was just another Brotherhood maneuver to control all state bodies.

“Egypt is currently drafting a new constitution and thus a new system for the management of the Supreme Press Council and national press institutions should be put in place,” Rashwan told London-based daily Asharq al-Awsat.

“It is a shame that press experts who were in the former council would relinquish their positions for others, some of whom have difficulty reading,” he added.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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FJP official: All society’s sectors represented in constituent assembly

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April 2nd, 2012

All sectors and minorities in Egyptian society are represented in the constituent assembly which will write the new constitution, said Ahmed Fahmy, Shura Council Speaker and member of the Freedom and Justice Party.

Fahmy’s remarks came during a meeting on Monday with an American congressional delegation headed by David Dreier, a member of the US House of Representatives from California, which was attended by US Ambassador Anne Patterson.

When asked about the rumors concerning the withdrawal of some constituent assembly members, Fahmy said he only received withdrawal requests from two or three members. He went onto say that the demands made by some parties for representation in the assembly equal to that of the majority party are undemocratic.

A number of assembly members representing liberals, in addition to representatives of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Al-Azhar and the Coptic Church had withdrawn from the 100-member assembly. The Islamist-majority Parliament formed the assembly, which is dominated by Islamists.

The withdrawing members expressed their opposition to the makeup of the assembly, which they said did not take into account all segments of Egyptian society.

Concerning Egyptian-American relations, Fahmy said they must be based on justice not power, as the manifestations of power are different and variable.

He added that many Egyptians had reservations regarding American aid if it is accompanied by pressure on Egyptian government policies. He said he hoped for a genuinely reciprocal economic partnership.

Meanwhile, Dreier expressed his appreciation for the changes that have taken place in Egypt as well as the Egyptian people's ability to bring about these changes. Dreier welcomed the role of the new Parliament, which represents all segments of society, stressing the importance that it not be allowed to fall under presidential or executive authority control.

Dreier went on to say he hoped for more parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and that exchange will strengthen democracy and human rights. He said that the United States believes that partnership with Egypt in all fields is a strategic partnership.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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FJP to nominate Katatny for chairmanship of constituent assembly

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March 5th, 2012

Sources within the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party on Monday said the party intends to nominate Parliament Speaker Saad al-Katatny for the chairmanship of the constituent assembly that will be tasked with writing the new constitution.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources also said the party is considering Shura Council speaker and FJP member Ahmed Fahmy as an assembly member, together with Mahmoud al-Khodairy, chairman of the People’s Assembly’s Legislative Committee, his deputy Sobhi Saleh of the FJP, and Mohamed Tosson, chairman of the Shura Council’s Legislative Committee, also an FJP member.

Wahid Abdel Meguid, general coordinator of the FJP-led Democratic Coalition, said it is logical to nominate Katatny.

“Parliament’s speaker should not be reporting to anyone,” he said, adding that this would not conflict with his original work. He also said that only 40 percent of the assembly members would be members of Parliament.

Hassan al-Bishbishy, an FJP member, said the party would choose the best qualified candidates for the assembly. “They will be experts in different fields,” he explained.

Mohamed Nour, spokesperson for the Salafi Nour Party, said the party is discussing with the FJP articles that would be included in the new constitution pertaining to the form of the state.

“The FJP prefers a mixed parliamentary and presidential system while we prefer a purely parliamentary system,” he said, adding that they are also discussing Article 2, which says Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation.

Adel Afify, president of the Salafi Asala Party, said he would run for assembly membership. “I have a PhD in law, and that makes me qualified,” he said, adding that each political party should be represented in the assembly according to the number of seats it has won in Parliament.

He also said that he would call for amending the articles on freedoms and Article 2 so that they do not violate Islamic Sharia.

Mohamed Abu al-Ghar, president the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said the FJP asked all parties to provide a list of their nominations for assembly membership.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Tantawi pledges democratic and fair presidential elections

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February 28th, 2012

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces pledged on Tuesday that the next presidential election would be a model of democracy, fairness and transparency.

Tantawi’s statements came in a message sent to Ahmed Fahmy, the newly-elected speaker of the Shura Council, which held its first session Tuesday.

Tantawi also congratulated the council on holding its first session after fair elections through which voters expressed their opinion freely.

“The election was a manifestation of the promise we made since assuming responsibility for the country that there would not be a substitute for the legitimacy accepted by the people,” Tantawi wrote. “And here we are handing over power to the Parliament that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the Egyptian people.

“We have gone through a difficult transitional phase of enormous challenges, but the state stood on one pillar, namely the great army of Egypt that protected the revolution and adopted all its demands.

“The armed forces were aware of attempts to sow discord among the people over its role in the restoration of the state institutions. Therefore, our aim at the transitional phase was to rebuild the state’s legislative institutions and prepare for a new constitution and presidential election,” he said in the message.

"Here we are, poised to complete the construction of a modern state by selecting the members of the constituent assembly that will write the new constitution and hold the presidential elections,” he concluded.

Some legal experts and MPs expressed concern over conducting the presidential elections under the controversial Article 28 in the Constitutional Declaration which grants the committee supervising the presidential election the ability to issue unchallengeable decisions.

MP Abul Ezz al-Hariry said in a People’s Assembly session on Monday, “If the presidential election is held under Article 28, then the election of Egypt’s next president will be void, as preventing the challenge of any administrative decision is a violation of human rights and because the article which revokes litigation is invalid.”

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FJP member named Shura Council speaker

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February 28th, 2012

Ahmed Fahmy of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party has been elected speaker of the Shura Council, the upper house of Parliament.

He won 175 valid votes out of 180, according to Ahmed Hassan al-Meligy, who chaired the council temporarily until the new speaker was elected.

In a speech after results were announced, Fahmy said he received a letter from Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi in which he asked Fahmy to collaborate with the People’s Assembly to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and stressed that with the election of the Shura Council, the military council has completely handed over legislative power to Parliament.

Fahmy announced his candidacy for the post on Tuesday during the newly-elected council’s first session. He was not challenged by any other member.

The FJP won 58 percent of the council's seats in elections, which ended last week. The Salafi Nour Party won 25 percent.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
  

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