Lawsuit filed against SCAF to hand full powers to Egypt president

Lawyer Mohamed Abdel Al filed a lawsuit on Monday at the State Council’s Administrative Court requesting that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces hand over full power to President Mohamed Morsy.

“The military council caused political and economic deterioration and a decline in Egypt's international role by taking over power out of necessity when the former president was ousted. Its policies proved that it considers the Egyptian revolution a mere uprising, and it is trying to restore the former regime,” Abdel Al stated in his lawsuit.

He also said that the supplement to the Constitutional Declaration robbed the powers of the elected institutions, and that the March 2011 declaration had stated that the transitional period would end in six months, but it was unlawfully extended until the end of June 2012.

The lawsuit requested the immediate handing over of power to the elected civilian legislative and executive authorities.

A few days before announcing the results of the presidential election, the ruling military council added a supplement to the Constitutional Declaration that has governed Egypt since March 2011.

The addendum limits the powers of the president and adds to those of the military council with respect to the state budget, the Constituent Assembly tasked with writing the new constitution, and the ability to declare war, for which the president must first obtain approval from the military council. The document also takes the title of commander-in-chief of the armed forces away from the incoming president.

Thousands of Egyptians protested in Cairo and various governorates against the issuance of the supplementary constitutional declaration. Although the military council formally handed over power to President Mohamed Morsy on 30 June, there are still small groups protesting in Tahrir Square demanding the president to be granted full powers.