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Egypt issues presidential decree to extend state of emergency |
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08:57, May 27, 2008 |
Egypt issued a presidential decree to extend the state of emergency in the country and the Egyptian People's Assembly (lower house of the parliament) is discussing the issue on Monday, the official MENA news agency reported.
Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef addressed the parliament in the morning session on the decree following the decision by President Hosni Mubarak, said the report.
People's Assembly Speaker Ahmed Fathi Sorour said Nazef informed him of the president's decision to extend the martial law by two years as of June 1 or till the emergency law replaced by an anti-terror one.
Nazef said in the session that the government promises the emergency law will only be used to confront terror and to protect the security of the nation and its citizens.
The emergency law has been in force in Egypt since 1981 after the assassination of then President Anwar Sadat.
According to earlier report, the government's plan to extend the 27-year-old emergency law has drawn disputes from the opposition and independent activists.
The emergency law allows the police to hold people without charge and enables the authorities to refer civilians to military courts, local daily The Egyptian Gazette said on Monday.
Source:Xinhua
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