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On July 11, the People's Assembly- lower house of parliament- starting to discuss constitutional amendment to be presented to president Mubarak. A report will be handed to president Mubarak, who in turn will choose the amendments to be introduced.
In a sudden last minute move, on July 10, president Mubarak instructed members of parliament from the ruling National Democratic Party to abolish publication offenses in a new law on the press. This move came to ease the tensions between civil society activists and the regime. It is also among the first of Mubarak's 2005 presidential election campaign promises to be achieved.
On Sunday July 9, twenty four opposition and independent newspaper did not appear as a protest to the law on publication offenses. The same day, a demonstrations were held in front of the parliament, this comes amid growing tensions between the regime and civil society over the issue of freedom of the press.
On July 5, the newly appointed Attorney General, Abdel-Magid Mahmoud, ordered the release of 73 jailed political activists. Two days earlier, he ordered the release of 96 political activists. The political activists from various opposition groups and civil society were arrested when demonstrating to support and independent judiciary and are now facing trial on the ground of illegal rallies and blocking traffic.
Zakaria Abdel-Aziz, head of the Judges Club, made a visit to the Journalist Syndicate on July 4, to express the judges solidarity with journalists in opposing jail sentences in publication offenses. Other professional associations also expressed their solidarity with journalists and vowed to participate in demonstrations on July 9.
In the wake of the protests concerning the law on publication offenses, on July 4, the board members of the Journalists syndicate (JR) threatened to present their resignation if the regime succeeds in issuing the new law. Journalists consider that in a free press their should be no jail sentences for publication offenses, while the regime wants to keep this sentence if there are publications offenses concern important government officials. The JR also considers that its general assembly is in permanent session until the regime issues a law that guarantees free press.
The liberal Wafd party expressed its opposition to the new law on publication offenses. Mahmoud Abaza, leader of the Wafd party and head of the Wafdist parliamentary group declared that the new law does not abolish publication offenses, but protects certain individuals by not allowing the press to expose financial misbehaving of government officials. Abaza's comments came after the Legislative Committee of the People's Assembly gave the initial approval of the new law.
A delegation of the the Journalist Syndicate met with the speaker of the People's Assembly - the lower house of parliament - on Monday July 3d, but failed to bridge the gap between the regime and the syndicate over a new law on publication offenses. A similar meeting took with the speaker of the Consultative Council - the upper house of parliament - two days earlier with the same outcome: an increased confrontation between the syndicate and the regime.
The Journalist Syndicate wishes to abolish jail sentences for publication offenses, while the law presented by the government abolishes publication offenses except for those concerning financial matters dealing with heads of national authorities, cabinet ministers and heads of states. The syndicate considers that the new law protects corruption if the press is not able to tackle topics related to corruption of officials.
President Mubarak issued a decree appointing magistrate Abdel-Megid Mahmoud as a new attorney general. Mahmoud is known to have a good reputation among Egypt's judges. His predecessor, Maher Abdel-Wahed was appointed as a president of the Higher Constitutional court, while the court of appeals is awaiting the appointment of Adel Zaki Andraos - a Copt- as president of the Appeal court.
