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Polls open in Egypt after military shuts down parliament

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Cairo, June 16, IRNA -- Polls opened on Saturday as Egyptians began two days of voting in the country’s presidential runoff election, choosing between ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s former prime minister and an Islamist candidate.

On the eve of a presidential runoff election, Egypt's military council said it dissolved parliament Friday, in line with a ruling from the top court that declared the legislative body invalid.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces -- the military rulers in control of the country since the fall of Hosni Mubarak -- officially informed parliament that it was dissolved, said Maj. Mohamed Askar, a spokesman for the council.

He said there was no notice to lawmakers denying them access but a report posted on the English website of al-Ahram newspaper said entry was barred.

The military council claimed full legislative power after the High Constitutional Court's ruling Thursday that the constitutional articles that regulated parliamentary elections were invalid.

Gen. Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF and Egypt's de facto ruler, was in an emergency meeting with the council Friday to discuss the drafting of a new constitution. The council is widely expected to issue its own interim constitutional charter.

Observers say 'Soft coup' court ruling could reignite Egyptian revolution.

In response to the ruling on Parliament, the Muslim Brotherhood sought to portray the presidential runoff as the last stand of the revolution.

“Here comes the counterrevolution, plainly witnessed by all, so everyone knows that we are facing a defining moment and a critical turning point,” Mr. Morsi said Friday in a statement that was echoed by surrogates for his campaign. “We are now facing a heinous coup,” he added, calling it “the last card of counterrevolutionary players.”

Eschewing protests, Morsi urged supporters to join a “million-man march to the ballot boxes, because then the forces of darkness will not dare falsify your will.”

Brotherhood officials insisted that Parliament was still in business despite the soldiers guarding the doors. They continued to argue that the Supreme Constitutional Court had no authority to dissolve Parliament, citing precedents in which the previous Parliament had rebuffed such judicial interventions. They discounted the reports in the state news media that the military council had assumed legislative authority, and also wrote off the soldiers and the riot police officers barring entrance to Parliament.

IRNA reporter in Cairo said in the meantime that there was a rumour that there are pens at the polling stations whose ink disappears after one hour. Then people insist on using their own pens but the strict rule is you must use the pen provided inside.
Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1021083