And it is not only the first parliamentary session Egypt has seen since the dissolution of the parliament in summer 2012 but it can be the longest parliamentary procedural session in the history of Egypt and may be the world!!
Yes, the session went on till beyond 1 AM Cairo local time. We are having a breaking record here in Egypt and it is not involving food for the first time !!
Anyhow this breaking record of hours is just another extra feature in today's Season 1 Premiere of Egypt's Parliament 2016.
Since the start of the day, all indications made it clear that it would not be your usual parliament at all.
Of course, I was mistaken as I thought El-Sisi would inaugurate the session. It turned to be a procedural session. El-Sisi will inaugurate the parliamentary term in another day, may be next week.
Now to the procedural session which was headed by the oldest members in the House of Representative appointed MP and Al-Wafd Veteran member Bahaa Abu-Shouka.
After the start of the session, the 596 members "568 elected MPs+ 28 appointed MPs by the President" must take the oath in front of other members and in front of the whole world because the session was on air ... and the fun began !!
Some MPs insisted on changing the oath especially MP Mortada Mansour who unsurprisingly was the star of today's premiere with what he had done.
Reading the oath, Mansour said at first " I will respect the articles of the constitution" and not "I will respect the constitution".
Abu-Shouka told him to read it again correctly but then the bigger-than-life head of Zamalek club shouted that he would not because "The informants age is over" and He does not "respect a composition topic".
Then he screamed saying that he would not swear to respect something he was not convinced with like the 25 January revolution. "I do not recognize the 25 January revolution, I am free, I can not stomach the 25 January revolution" he screamed vowing to divorce his wife if he took the oath again correctly !!
Then MP and film director Khaled Youssef also vowed to divorce his wife if Mortada did not take the oath again.
Now, the current Egyptian constitution recognizes the 25 January and 30 June as revolutions in its preface.
To swear on respecting the constitution as a whole means respecting and recognizing the 25 January and 30 June as revolutions.
Mansour does not hide his hate to the 25 January revolution since day 1 despite after the ouster of Mubarak he claimed that he and his sons were in Tahrir square. Already 75% if not 95% of the members in that parliament hate 25 January revolution and they lied in that oath.
Ironically after big and loud interruption, he gave up and said the right oath. "Okay, but inside me, I will keep to myself the right oath I said first !!" He said.
I do not know the fate of his wife or ex-wife but I know she was divorced several times thanks to his constant oaths to divorce her.
Also, I do not know if their son who is also a MP in this parliament and attended this session representing my constituency was awake when that fuzz happened or not.
Then there were other members who decided to have their own oath by changing it despite the warnings of Abou-Shouka.
You got former Police general and Assuit MP Tadrous Kalds who decided to change the oath and said "I swear by the One God" instead of "I swear by God". Do not ask me why.Then you got former NDPian and Qena MPs who decided to praise Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" in the oath. Again do not ask me why.
This procedural session witnessed a huge number of selfies.
The queen and king of Selfies were MP Diaa Doawd El-Din and MP Evelyn Matta.
I would not have included that photo in the post if it were not for MP Matta's provoking claim that they were not taking a selfie but rather reading the people's problems in their constituencies !!
Then we got the epic moment of mics on air where you can listen to side talks between MPs.
I will not include how a MP asked for a candy from another MP because those guys spent more than 10 hours eating only sandwiches in recess but I can not get over what an unknown MP said in the mic accidently regarding those bloody ### who knew a couple of articles in the law and constitution and decided to make the other MPs' life ###.
Then came the time to elect the speaker of the parliament. Five MPs ran for the position including the infamous notorious MP Tawfik Okasha who gave one of his " I am the leader of the 30 June revolution" speeches so he would be elected.
Strangely that speech impressed 25 MPs only who elected him. The majority of the votes went to Ali Abdel Aal , the Constitutional law professor.
Despite I expected Serry Siam to be the speaker of the parliament yet Abdel Aal turned to be the lucky one.
Already, I found out that there were strong rumors that the 68 years old law professor who was a member of the Pro-Sisi "For the Love of Egypt" electoral list in Upper Egypt as well a member in the Pro-Sisi/State "Support Egypt" bloc in the parliament was tipped to be the upcoming speaker of the parliament.
After showing respect to the martyrs of the army, police and the people in the two revolutions, Ali Abdel Aal had his fight with MP Ehab El-Kholy when the later insisted the parliament continue its session to elect two deputies.
The newly elected House of Representatives said that it could be postponed but El-Kholy reminded him that according to the constitution, the two deputies should be elected in the first session of the parliament.
Abdel Aal then reminded the MP that he participated in drafting that constitution reading from. Anyhow Abdel Aal lost his first battle because the MPs elected the deputies after all on that night. The MP elected one of the deputies on Saturday or rather early Monday and the other deputy had a runoff elections Monday afternoon in another session.
The 2016 parliament deputies are former NDPian Mahmoud El-Sherif and Soliman Wahdan.
Before I forget, MP Serry Siam also had his own unnecessary fight on what he should be addressed with, whether it is a MP or a representative !!
The first thing the parliament did on Monday was sending a telegram to congratulate the leader and president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Now because the day was not strange enough, we found out that a group of Muslim Brotherhood members from MPs in 2012 decided to have their own parliament in Turkey !!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is like we are speaking about a parallel universe.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian House of Representatives voted not to broadcast live its sessions and we will have some televised summary instead.
House of Representatives speaker Abdel Aal stated that the Muslim Brotherhood wanted the session of the parliament to be live and he would not let them have that opportunity.
By the way, Mortada Mansour was chosen as the head of the Human rights committee.
Just from few months ago , Mansour called for the return of the emergency laws !!
Tawfik Okasha stormed from one of the sessions on Tuesday to object how he was not let to speak. He protested it in his own way.
I swear this is a black comedy.
I would like to say that neither of those two parliaments, the one in Cairo or that more pathetic delusional one in Istanbul will achieve what the Egyptian people truly need or want nor they do represent the Egyptian people for real.
Now, this is a strong premiere and hopefully, the upcoming episodes will be more interesting.
Yes, I do not take that parliament seriously because it is not intended to be a serious one from the start.
Yes, the session went on till beyond 1 AM Cairo local time. We are having a breaking record here in Egypt and it is not involving food for the first time !!
Anyhow this breaking record of hours is just another extra feature in today's Season 1 Premiere of Egypt's Parliament 2016.
 |
| The first procedural session in the Egyptian parliament 2016 "AP" |
Of course, I was mistaken as I thought El-Sisi would inaugurate the session. It turned to be a procedural session. El-Sisi will inaugurate the parliamentary term in another day, may be next week.
Now to the procedural session which was headed by the oldest members in the House of Representative appointed MP and Al-Wafd Veteran member Bahaa Abu-Shouka.
After the start of the session, the 596 members "568 elected MPs+ 28 appointed MPs by the President" must take the oath in front of other members and in front of the whole world because the session was on air ... and the fun began !!
Some MPs insisted on changing the oath especially MP Mortada Mansour who unsurprisingly was the star of today's premiere with what he had done.
Abu-Shouka told him to read it again correctly but then the bigger-than-life head of Zamalek club shouted that he would not because "The informants age is over" and He does not "respect a composition topic".
Then he screamed saying that he would not swear to respect something he was not convinced with like the 25 January revolution. "I do not recognize the 25 January revolution, I am free, I can not stomach the 25 January revolution" he screamed vowing to divorce his wife if he took the oath again correctly !!
Then MP and film director Khaled Youssef also vowed to divorce his wife if Mortada did not take the oath again.
Now, the current Egyptian constitution recognizes the 25 January and 30 June as revolutions in its preface.
To swear on respecting the constitution as a whole means respecting and recognizing the 25 January and 30 June as revolutions.
Mansour does not hide his hate to the 25 January revolution since day 1 despite after the ouster of Mubarak he claimed that he and his sons were in Tahrir square. Already 75% if not 95% of the members in that parliament hate 25 January revolution and they lied in that oath.
Ironically after big and loud interruption, he gave up and said the right oath. "Okay, but inside me, I will keep to myself the right oath I said first !!" He said.
I do not know the fate of his wife or ex-wife but I know she was divorced several times thanks to his constant oaths to divorce her.
Also, I do not know if their son who is also a MP in this parliament and attended this session representing my constituency was awake when that fuzz happened or not.
 |
| Mansour Jr in the session |
You got former Police general and Assuit MP Tadrous Kalds who decided to change the oath and said "I swear by the One God" instead of "I swear by God". Do not ask me why.Then you got former NDPian and Qena MPs who decided to praise Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" in the oath. Again do not ask me why.
This procedural session witnessed a huge number of selfies.
The queen and king of Selfies were MP Diaa Doawd El-Din and MP Evelyn Matta.
 |
| Parliamentary selfie "Youm 7" |
 |
| In the session "By Al-Masry Al-Youm" |
Then we got the epic moment of mics on air where you can listen to side talks between MPs.
I will not include how a MP asked for a candy from another MP because those guys spent more than 10 hours eating only sandwiches in recess but I can not get over what an unknown MP said in the mic accidently regarding those bloody ### who knew a couple of articles in the law and constitution and decided to make the other MPs' life ###.
Then came the time to elect the speaker of the parliament. Five MPs ran for the position including the infamous notorious MP Tawfik Okasha who gave one of his " I am the leader of the 30 June revolution" speeches so he would be elected.
Strangely that speech impressed 25 MPs only who elected him. The majority of the votes went to Ali Abdel Aal , the Constitutional law professor.
Despite I expected Serry Siam to be the speaker of the parliament yet Abdel Aal turned to be the lucky one.
 |
| Egypt's new parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal |
After showing respect to the martyrs of the army, police and the people in the two revolutions, Ali Abdel Aal had his fight with MP Ehab El-Kholy when the later insisted the parliament continue its session to elect two deputies.
The newly elected House of Representatives said that it could be postponed but El-Kholy reminded him that according to the constitution, the two deputies should be elected in the first session of the parliament.
Abdel Aal then reminded the MP that he participated in drafting that constitution reading from. Anyhow Abdel Aal lost his first battle because the MPs elected the deputies after all on that night. The MP elected one of the deputies on Saturday or rather early Monday and the other deputy had a runoff elections Monday afternoon in another session.
The 2016 parliament deputies are former NDPian Mahmoud El-Sherif and Soliman Wahdan.
Before I forget, MP Serry Siam also had his own unnecessary fight on what he should be addressed with, whether it is a MP or a representative !!
The first thing the parliament did on Monday was sending a telegram to congratulate the leader and president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Now because the day was not strange enough, we found out that a group of Muslim Brotherhood members from MPs in 2012 decided to have their own parliament in Turkey !!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is like we are speaking about a parallel universe.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian House of Representatives voted not to broadcast live its sessions and we will have some televised summary instead.
House of Representatives speaker Abdel Aal stated that the Muslim Brotherhood wanted the session of the parliament to be live and he would not let them have that opportunity.
By the way, Mortada Mansour was chosen as the head of the Human rights committee.
Just from few months ago , Mansour called for the return of the emergency laws !!
Tawfik Okasha stormed from one of the sessions on Tuesday to object how he was not let to speak. He protested it in his own way.
 |
| Okasha and the ducktape written on "Not allowed to speak by the government' Parlmany |
I would like to say that neither of those two parliaments, the one in Cairo or that more pathetic delusional one in Istanbul will achieve what the Egyptian people truly need or want nor they do represent the Egyptian people for real.
Now, this is a strong premiere and hopefully, the upcoming episodes will be more interesting.
Yes, I do not take that parliament seriously because it is not intended to be a serious one from the start.
Anti-Egyptian racism is a huge motivation in causing some non-Egyptians to hate the January 25 revolution. It challenges their views of alleged Egyptian inferiority, as well as their contempt. If Egyptian anti-January 25 loons do not realize this, they should. The people who babble about the irrelevant Muslim Brotherhood and try to cite it as a reason to oppose democracy in Egypt mistakenly think that talking about the MB can conceal their true reason for opposing January 25. There have been a lot of dictators who hate their own people and country, so this is a phenomena with a considerable amount of precedents.
ReplyDelete