Cairo (CNN) — On the eve of a presidential runoff election, Egypt’s military council formally dissolved parliament Friday, in line with a ruling from the nation’s top court that declared the legislative body invalid.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces — the military rulers in control of the country since the fall of Hosni Mubarak — officially informed parliament that it was dissolved, said Maj. Mohamed Askar, a spokesman for the council.
He said there was no notice to lawmakers denying them access but a report posted on the English website of Al-Ahram newspaper said entry was barred.
The military council, known by its acronym SCAF, claimed full legislative power after the High Constitutional Court’s ruling Thursday that the constitutional articles that regulated parliamentary elections were invalid.
Gen. Hussein Tantawi, the head of SCAF and Egypt’s de facto ruler, was in an emergency meeting with the council Friday to discuss the drafting of a new constitution. The council is widely expected to issue its own interim constitutional charter.
The court’s ruling triggered fears that Egypt’s revolution will unravel and Cairo braced for angry protests Friday night. By evening, however, the capital was surprisingly quiet though a few protesters chanted in the streets calling for a boycott of the voting that begins Saturday.
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A warm shoutout to the US State Department for fully funding the Egyptian mlitary to the tune of a few billion before, during, and after the revolution. It really sent the right message and set a tone of concern and support. How are you supposed to get the army off your back when they’ve got enough foreign funding to keep going even if the entire society boycotts them by not paying taxes?