| Egypt’s military leaders announce they will hold a referendum on constitutional changes on March 19, a parliamentary election in June and a presidential poll six weeks later. |
| By ET staff |
| Minister of Finance Samir Radwan allocates LE 47 million to state-owned papers to offset losses suffered during the uprising. Activists and bloggers write off the move as an attempt to buy the papers’ loyalty.3 Amid calls to step down, Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigns. Essam Sharaf, former transportation minister, is asked to form a new cabinet. Protesters storm the headquarters of State Security in Alexandria, reportedly after hearing that personnel were burning official documents. The police force quickly quells the riots though injuries are reported. Two men are killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians over an alleged relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman. The clashes result in the burning of Atfeeh Church in Helwan. Cairo’s State Security building is stormed, again after reports of incriminating documents being destroyed. Reports surface of documents being found that implicate State Security in the Alexandria Two Saints Church bombing on New Year’s. Just one day later, Mansour Essawy is named new interior minister, replacing Mahmoud Wagdi. Nabil Al-Arabi, a former judge with the International Court of Justice, is named new foreign minister. One of the first things he does is restore ties with Tehran, confirming that the nation no longer sees Iran an enemy. A demonstration commemorating International Women’s day in Tahrir Square erupts into tension and violence as hundreds of women are seen arguing with men and being pushed away from the square. Some cases of sexual harassment are also reported on a day that leaves many women pessimistic about the future of the country and their inclusion in the upcoming transitional phase. After people allegedly armed with sticks and knives clash with protesters in Tahrir, authorities violently disperse the demonstration, detaining nearly 174 people, among them 17 girls. Allegations soon surface that detained demonstrators were tortured and that female detainees were strip-searched and subjected to “virginity tests.” The SCAF approves a new draft law to crack down on crimes such as intimidation, thuggery and disturbing the peace. Under the new law, the death penalty may be handed out if criminal acts of thuggery result in murder. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former chief of the United Nations nuclear agency Mohamed ElBaradei announces his intention to run for presidency. 11 Aboud El-Zomor, head of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya in Egypt, is released from prison after serving 30 years for plotting former President Anwar El-Sadat’s assassination on October 6, 1981. A few days after his release, El-Zomor appears on a talk show where he justifies the spilling of blood and shows no remorse over Sadat’s killing. The general prosecutor orders the arrest of Abdel Nasser El Gabry and Ibrahim El Khatib, former NDP members, on charges of planning and financing attacks on protesters on February 2. The State Security Agency is disbanded, and a new National Security Office is created and tasked with ensuring state security within the bounds of the Constitution and national law and with respect for human rights. 19 Egyptians get their first real taste of democracy in decades, going to the polls in a referendum on nine amended articles of the Constitution. A total of 18.5 million Egyptians take part in the poll, with 77% voting yes to the amendments, amid allegations that members of Islamic groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis are using religious influence to help sway the vote in their favor. Shortly after, Mohamed Hussein Yacoub, an influential Salafi preacher, congratulates his flock on winning ghazwet el-sanadeeq (the battle of the ballot boxes). A video of Yacoub’s speech clocks up almost 50,000 views on the video-sharing website YouTube. The Cabinet approves a law criminalizing strikes and protests, with penalties of up to one year’s imprisonment. The Egyptian Stock Exchange opens after a hiatus of 39 days. After a 30-minute suspension of trading to contain an early plunge, stocks prices go up in comparison to February. The end of the quarter sees Egypt’s economy shrink 4.2 percent, amid the worst political crisis facing the country in three decades. Food prices increase by over 20% in comparison to the previous year and the Egyptian pound drops 5% against the dollar since the beginning of the year, standing at LE 5.98 to the dollar. The SCAF announces parliamentary elections will be held in September and that a travel ban has been imposed on former president Hosni Mubarak. Maikel Nabil Sanad is arrested for penning a blog post entitled, “The people and the army were never one hand” that allegedly slanders the SCAF. |
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