Islamists Dealt Major Blow In Egyptian Politics

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

CAIRO Egypt's highest court ruled on Sunday that the nation's Islamist-dominated legislature and constitutional panel were illegally elected, dealing a serious blow to the legal basis of the Islamists' hold on power.

The ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court says that the legislature's upper house, the only one currently sitting, would not be dissolved until the parliament's lower chamber is elected later this year or early in 2014. The constitutional panel has already dissolved after completing the charter.

But the ruling nonetheless deepens the political instability that has gripped the country since the overthrow of authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak two years ago.

The same court ruled to dissolve parliament's lower chamber in June, a move that led to the promotion of the toothless upper chamber, the Shura Council, to becoming a law-making house. The Shura Council, long derided as nothing more than a talk shop, was elected by about seven percent of the electorate last year.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57587227/islamists-dealt-major-blow-in-egyptian-politics/

[dlwickham]

1. so does the US sit this one out

because it's going to get way messy

anyone else see a civil war breaking out?

[cstanleytech]

3. Unless something major happens the US and the other major powers

probably will sit it out and by major I mean if whoever gains control tries to do something monumentally stupid perhaps triggering the major powers to agree with other and step in like say trying to destroy the great pyramids stupid.

[msongs]

2. religionists will not be deterred by a court ruling and will ignore it nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Exactly, they will claim validation by "a higher authority".

[SkyDaddy7]

7. I agree...

even though I think this is wonderful news I doubt it will change anything. However, if they do ignore the courts then we will know for sure the Muslim Brotherhood never intended for Egypt to be a true democracy.

[JI7]

11. but i also think they will have constant opposition, they will not be able to rule as in Saudi

Arabia .

[Benton D Struckcheon]

5. Densely populated,

lost a huge chunk of its tourist industry, foreign investment dried up. It's a huge powder keg. Anything could happen.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Isn't the contstitutional court controlled by Mubarek appointees?

And if so, wouldn't this be undermining the democratically elected government?

You know, like the US Supreme Court back in 2000?

[John2]

8. I think in the

end, the islamists will win, if CBS made a misprint, about the religious demographics of Egypt. It claims half of Egypt is Christian, but if you look at Wiki, it claims Egypt is predominately Sunni Muslim, with only 9 percent Christian. The two leading Presidential candidates both followed Islam. It also says laws are based on Sharia Law under Islam. The Islamists will probably overrule the court, because Mursi's supporters are saying the Court is illegal because it was appointed by Mubarak. It was Mubarak that oppressed the Muslim Brotherhood for more secular Government. I don't trust the Muslim Brotherhood. They'll probably get everything they can from the West and then declare Sharia Law. I mean the West has been useful in getting rid of phony Islamists like Saddam and next Assad.

[Igel]

9. There's a lot of "what gets us what *we* want is right" going on.

In other N. African countries the courts were just abolished or ignored. Nobody cared. Or they thought it great.

They stood in the way of progress, and we all want progress. Progress trumps legalistic structures, esp. outdated ones.

In other cases, if we don't like how the process worked, the "outdated" courts that we liked swept away in other countries are heroes against the horrible democratically elected forces.

The main principle is often, "Do I like the outcome?"

In this case, it's a kind of set up. The way the process worked in practice wasn't as intended, but both sides piddled with it a bit. The "liberal" groups more than the conservative groups. The courts didn't like the kludge needed to make things work or the outcome. They've pretty consistently had an axe to grind. It's what comes from pouring new wine into old wineskins, so to speak.

[riderinthestorm]

10. Unfortunately Egypt's new Islamist constitution based on Sharia, with REAL injustices for women and

minorities is already approved. While Mubarek was a dictator, he was moving the country along towards better civil and equal rights.

While THIS legislature may be dissolved, the REAL damage is done.