Egyptian newspapers today reported that the Egyptian ruling military council may move the parliamentary elections to October 4. Youm7 Egyptian political parties today reported that the ruling military council intends to postpone parliamentary elections to October 4 instead of September 27. One party leader said the military council informed him of the new date. The new date enraged most parties' leaderships, he added. Political parties view the postponement as a violation against the constitutional announcement saying that elections would be held in six months, or in September 2011. The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Elections said he had not received any calls from the military council regarding the date of elections. Youm7 also reported that Egypt requested U.S. $5 billion in loans from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to help support its public budget. Al-Ahram The transitional period following the January 25 Revolution is a way toward the future, but it is marred by chaos and improvisation, reported writer and scholar Mohamed Hassanein Heikal. Egyptians must evaluate the entire situation, not just the military and government performance, he added. Heikal also reported that the Muslim Brotherhood will not run for all parliamentary seats, meaning that they cannot control the entire legislative branch. We should trust the military council, he added, saying that they are the future keeper of Egypt and they are charged with an enormous amount of responsibility. The January 25 Revolution broke out because Egyptians could no longer suffer under the burdens imposed on them, he added. Al-Akhbar The Egyptian Ministry of Transport is currently focused on Sinai as it was neglected and marginalized for a long time, reported Minister Ali Zain al-Abidin. “Prime Minister Essam Sharaf will announce a supreme committee for Sinai in the coming days,” he said. “Sinai is about to witness a new era of development,” he added. “The Ministry of Transport has certain targets within the framework of the National Committee for Sinai Development, like linking production and export,” he said. Al-Akhbar reported that Ezz Company lost 1.8 billion EGP (U.S. $301 million). The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, will meet the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Cairo. Al-Masry Al-Youm The Muslim Brotherhood expelled one of its members and froze the membership of four other members for attending a conference for former Brotherhood member and likely presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh. Former Egyptian ambassador to the U.S. Nabil Fahmy today said he didn't accept the position of Foreign Minister during the revolution because he didn't want to be responsible for Egypt's shrinking international role. The ambassador also criticized Egypt's lack of relations with Iran. Al-Shorouq Turkey wants to establish new relations with Egypt to form a new axis of power in the region from the Black Sea to the Nile, reported Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. This alliance will not be against any state, neither Israel nor Iran, the minister told the New York Times in an interview. Turkish investment in Egypt will increase from U.S. $1.5 billion to U.S. $5 billion over the next two years.
