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Egypt's Military Seeks to Maintain Its Power

(Los Angeles Times) Jeffrey Fleishman and Amro Hassan - Egypt's ruling military council is silencing critics while polishing its image amid increasing signs that it is plotting to stay in power behind the scenes, even after parliament is elected early next year. This week the military-backed interim government announced parameters for writing Egypt's new constitution. The proposals allow the generals to appoint 80% of the constitutional committee. They also state that the defense budget would be kept secret, and that the military would be the "guardian" of the constitution. State TV and newspapers are portraying Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi in a flattering light that echoes portrayals of Mr. Mubarak during his rule, including coverage of the "Egypt Above All" movement that has pasted posters of the field marshal across Cairo. "The military is...working on constitutional proposals to maintain their political and financial might and to rule the country from behind a curtain," said Nabil Abdel Fattah, an analyst at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.
2011-11-04 00:00:00
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