CAIRO: Egypt s parliament was the scene of heated debate on Monday after Speaker Fathi Sorour had accused opposition MPs of polluting the ideas of the judiciary , the official news agency MENA said. Monday s session was discussing a controversial draft law on the authority of the judiciary, a day after a walkout by about 100 deputies in protest at Sorour s comments. We will not accept to participate in a session in which the Egyptian judiciary is insulted, said Saad Al-Katatni, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in parliament, explaining Monday s walkout. Sorour on Sunday accused the opposition of polluting the ideas of the judiciary after members of the opposition were invited to attend the general assembly of the judges syndicate on Friday. The intervention of political forces in the judiciary pushes the judges into politics, Sorour said, suggesting that this took away from the judiciary s prestige, according to MENA. Earlier this month, the government approved a draft bill which it claimed granted greater independence to the judiciary and strengthened its authority. But pro-reformist judges, who have campaigned hard in recent years against the law, protested, saying the draft did not meet their demands. In recent weeks, the judges campaign sparked popular demonstrations in Cairo which were heavily repressed by the security forces. But on Friday, during their general assembly, the judges softened their stance, saying they had found some positive points in the text. They called for more dialogue with the government. Criticizing the deputies who walked out, Sorour said that withdrawing is very easy, but resisting, confronting and discussing is difficult. Opposition deputies were angered when the majority members who belong to the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), more than 300 out of 454 members, began applauding after the walkout. We applauded Dr. Sorour for his strict principles and the parliamentary decisions he defends, NDP deputy Abdel Ahad Gamal Eddine said.
Opposition demands for reform in the Arab world s most populous country have this year largely focused on independence for the judiciary. Activists have protested in the streets in support of judges calling for independence. Agencies
