Lawsuits to suspend Tiran, Sanafir talks in Parliament postponed

CAIRO – 13 June 2017: The Administrative Court decided Tuesday to postpone 11 lawsuits demanding the suspension of the Cabinet’s decision to refer the maritime border demarcation decree to Parliament, to July 2, in anticipation of report by the State Commissioners.

The decree will result in transferring sovereignty over the Red Sea island of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The decision sparked widespread controversy in Egypt among civilians and politicians.

The lawsuits claim that cabinet’s decision to refer the discussion of the agreement to the House of Representatives violates the Constitution and that the final ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court to annul the agreement should be upheld.

The Constitution prohibits the government and the Parliament to sign accords that lead to waiving a part of the state’s territory.

Starting from Sunday June 11 the Parliamentary Committee started holding a three-day discussion debating the agreement. A wide-scale contravention took place among parliamentarians during the first day.

Two different judicial decrees were issued regarding Tiran and Sanafir. “Saying that the two islands are Egyptian is not a matter of question,” the Supreme Administrative Court stated in its ruling on January 16.

Last April, the Court of Urgent Matters accepted the case filed against the ruling of the Supreme Administrative Court and ruled the islands agreement is valid.

According to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s statements at the first inquiry session on the deal at the Parliament Sunday, the controversial maritime demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia was based on a presidential decree that was issued by former President Hosni Mubarak in 1990.