SCAF says it will hand over power in ceremony end-June

[DJKeefy]

The ruling military council said on Monday that the army will hold a ceremony to hand over power to the country's newly elected president at the end of June, state news agency MENA said.

The Muslim Brotherhood said its candidate Mohamed Morsy, 60, had won the election against military rival Ahmed Shafiq, 70, whose campaign refused to concede defeat and accused Morsy of "hijacking the election."

"The army will hand over power to the elected president in a big ceremony end-month that the entire world will witness," Major General Mohamed al-Assar, a member of the ruling army council, was quoted by MENA as saying. "Egypt is a modern democratic country that upholds all democratic values."

Official results are yet to come out, and the statement did not name the new president. It is the first comment on the election by the ruling council since initial results came out early morning.

Source: http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/sc ... y-end-june

[Hafiz]

Assuming no challenges to the voting, Mursi/Morsi when sworn in will have few powers, he can't appoint his cabinet (I think), can't control the Armed Forces or their budget, can't control the system for the writing of the new constitution and probably won't have much control over the timing of the Parliamentary elections. Oh, and he can't change the new 'martial law' arrangements. What he can do, if anything, is difficult to find out from the various press reports.

Maybe the one thing he has power to do in the short term is to keep his people off the streets - a violent showdown with the police and Army at this stage would play into the Army's hands and only justify their 'role' as protectors of order. But on the other hand these people aren't going to give up much of their power and wealth without a real confrontation the only questions are whether the Brotherhood has the will to force a confrontation and when.

I don't think the Army is in a negotiating mood.

[Bearded Brian]

1st July the army will take over the country.

[Hafiz]

Maybe things will go even further than an all powerful Army, a weak President and an abolished lower house of Parliament, no constitution, stacked courts and quasi martial law.

Coming up over the horizon in September are two court cases to dissolve both the Brotherhood and the FJP. If the Mubarak judges decide against the brothers things should really kick off.

The litigant in this case is difficult to pin point.