Global media is reporting that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has denounced the dissolution of the parliament by an Egyptian court as unlawful. According to a BBC report:
Egypt’s leading political movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has denounced the dissolution of parliament as unlawful. It described the move as a coup against democracy and urged Egyptians to protect their revolution. The ruling military council confirmed the dissolution after a court ruling on Thursday that the 2011 parliamentary elections were unconstitutional. Egyptians are voting over two days to choose a new president to replace Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted last year. Mohammed Mursi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, is up against Ahmed Shafiq, former President Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) has vowed to hand over power to the winner by 30 June. The decision to dissolve parliament so swiftly means that he could take office without the oversight of a sitting parliament and without a permanent constitution to define his powers or duties. A 100-member assembly appointed by lower and upper houses of parliament earlier this week to draft the new constitution may also be dissolved. ‘People’s will’ The top official in parliament, Sami Mahran, said he had received a letter from the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) confirming for the first time that the lower house, the People’s Assembly, had been dissolved. Aged 60 US-educated engineering professor Head of Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Served as independent MP 2000-05 Quietly spoken, viewed by some as lacking charisma Has promised ‘stability, security, justice and prosperity’ under an Islamic banner Profile: Mohammed Mursi Q&A: Supreme Court rulings It follows a ruling from the Supreme Constitutional Court on Thursday that the law governing Egypt’s first democratic elections in more than six decades was unconstitutional because party members were allowed to contest seats in the lower house reserved for independents. Soldiers have already been stationed around the parliament, with orders not to allow in MPs. The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which secured the biggest bloc of seats in a vote that ended in January, said the order to dissolve the assembly ‘represents a coup against the whole democratic process’. ‘We are asking for the people to be the ones who decide that the parliament gets dissolved, as such a decision should be taken by the people’s will and not the executive authority,’ FJP deputy leader Essam el-Erian told Reuters news agency.
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For the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood statement, go here.