FINANCIAL TIMES: Egypt’s ruling military council has issued a constitutional declaration giving the armed forces authority over its own budget and broad powers over the country, including veto power over any new president’s ability to declare war and over any article in a future constitution.
The announcement came as polls closed in the first presidential elections since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising last year. The constitutional statement, an amendment to the declaration which gave the military ultimate interim authority after last year’s revolution, was said to give the military the power to create a constitutional assembly within a week and grant the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, as well as the president, prime minister and chief justice of the supreme court the power to veto constitutional articles.
The summary of the amendment was released on the website of the official state newspaper. More details of the declaration are to be announced at a press conference on Monday… (more)
