House approves extending state of emergency 3 more months

CAIRO - 11 July 2019: The House of Representatives approved during Thursday's general session, under Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, presidential decree no. 317/2019 on extending the state of emergency imposed by presidential decree no. 208/2019 for three more months nationwide.

The decree, which saw over two thirds of the house lawmakers voting in favor of it, is due to come in force as of 1 am on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

The parliament received on July 4 a presidential letter regarding prolonging the state of emergency, speaker Abdel Aal said at the start of the session.

While the first article of the decree stipulates extending the emergency as declared in the decree no. 208/2019, its second article states that the Armed Forces and police would assume the responsibility of taking necessary measures meant to eliminate the risks of terrorism and its funding and protect homeland security and the lives of citizens and public and private property.

The third article stipulates that the prime minister will be entrusted with carrying out tasks of the president mentioned in law no. 162/1958 with regard to the state of emergency.

Those disobeying orders issued by the president will be punished by prison sentences under the provisions of law no. 162/1958, the fourth article read.

The fifth article entails putting into effect the president's decree after the approval of a parliamentary majority, which constitutes two thirds of the lawmakers.

Under article six of the decree, the decision should be published in the gazette.