The Egyptian parliament grants Al-Sisi extra powers in the face of the COVID-19 emergency

This Wednesday, the Egyptian parliament approved amendments to the emergency law, which has been in force permanently since 2017, granting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi broad powers in the event of a health crisis such as the coronavirus. Returning to the Chamber this week after a month-long recess by COVID-19, the MPs gave the green light to amendments prepared by parliament’s defence and national security committee to adapt the Egyptian emergency law, designed to deal with terrorism, to the current situation. 

These amendments allow Al-Sisi to make decisions directly related to health care, scientific research or the application of quarantines, as detailed by the state news agency MENA. Among the various measures, the Head of State may order some or all private hospitals, specialized medical centres and laboratories to provide health care to the public, under the supervision of a State authority. He may also impose control on research, scientific and laboratorial works related in particular to biological material and toughening measures regarding the possession, use, handling and disposal of such material. In addition, schools, youth centres, public enterprises and other State places may be designated and equipped to serve as field hospitals, by order of the President of the Republic. 

Also, ministries and government institutions, as well as all educational establishments in the country may be shut down entirely or partially. Al-Sisi may also decide whether persons coming from abroad have to be quarantined, which is currently the case with Egyptians who are being repatriated. The amendments grant the president more prerogatives to limit all kinds of private and public assemblies, processions and festivals, which are currently quite restricted, and even private meetings in the case of health emergencies. 

The Egyptian government has undertaken measures since mid-March to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which totals 3,659 infected and 276 dead in the Arab country. The state of emergency has applied uninterruptedly in Egypt since April 2017, after two brutal attacks on Christian churches on Palm Sunday that year. 

In fact, Egypt has experienced short periods without emergency measures since 1914, the longest being between 1921 and 1939, and intermittently after the Egyptian revolution of 2011 until 2017. Dictator Hosni Mubarak ruled under emergency law for the three decades he was in power (1981-2011) and was revoked in 2012 after his overthrow, only to be temporarily reinstated by Al Sisi in 2013 after the military coup against Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.