The Democratic Coalition has rejected the recent presidential decree regarding regulatory bodies, and called on President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to withdraw it.
The decree institutes Law 65/2015, which allows for the president to dismiss heads and members of independent bodies and regulatory authorities. Dismissals can come under four circumstances, according to the decree.
The coalition which contains eight liberal and leftist parties and political movements such as Al-Dostour, Al-Karama, and the Popular Current, said in an official statement on Monday: “The decree violates the constitution and basic principles that build democratic nations.”
Khaled Daoud, spokesperson of the Al-Dostour Party, told Daily News Egypt: “There is no clear urgency for issuing such a decree before the parliament, which is initially mandated to draft such a law, is formed.”
Article 197 of the 2014 constitution states that there is an administrative authority, an independent authority mandated to investigate in administrative and financial violations. It has the right to take disciplinary acts in those violations, and appeals on its decisions are submitted through the state council. It is also responsible for proceeding with and following up on all discipline lawsuits in front of the state council according to the law. All its members are subject to the rights given to the judicial power members.
The statement also added that this decree extends the president’s power over the three branches of the government which disturbs the state concept and threats all its institutions including the president himself.
Following the Muslim Brotherhood regime’s ouster in 2013, at least 100 decrees were issued by former interim president Adly Mansour and current President Al-Sisi. Many of them were unconstitutional, such as the controversial protest law and the electoral districts law, the latter of which was rejected by the Supreme Constitutional Court in March.
