Cairo Court of Urgent Matters decreed on Saturday the rejection of an appeal filed by lawyers Ali Ayyoub and Malek Adli against suspension of the Administrative Court verdict that nullified the maritime demarcation border agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The agreement had earlier located two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir within Saudi territorial waters.
The Administrative Court verdict set February 7th as the date for the first trial session to review the appeal filed by each of Ali, Ayyoub and other lawyers, who represent the defense of the islands, against referring the agreement to Parliament, after being ratified by the Cabinet.
According to Ali, referring the agreement to parliament, is just an attempt to create conflict between the legislative and legal authorities, adding that this move would require the Cabinet to give more explanations.
In related news, informed sources from the Cabinet said that it will not consider the agreement before the State Council’s Supreme Administrative Court issues its verdict on January 16th. The Cabinet will then set in motion discussion mechanisms within the coming two weeks.
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, according to the sources, will not attend the parliamentary discussion sessions over the agreement; rather, the Cabinet will depend for clarifications on Magdy al-Agaty, Minister of State for Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils. He will be present at the discussion committee's deiberations, as well as at the general session for voting and responding to the MP inquiries.
Meanwhile, several representatives from political groups and parties in the governorates have expressed their rejection of the Cabinet decision of referring the agreement to the Parliament; considering this an insult to judicial verdicts and an attempt to drag the Parliament into conflict with the judicial authority.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
