![Yemeni Minister of Legal Affairs Mohammed al-Mekhlafi is working to bring the country's legislative process into line with international conventions. [Faisal Darem/Al-Shorfa]](/shared/images/2013/05/18/yemen-legal-minister-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi artist Sadik Jaafar's most recent exhibition, 'Harmony of Light', is now showing in Beirut. [Nohad Topalian/Al-Shorfa]](/shared/images/2013/05/18/iraq-artist-sadek-90_58.jpg)
![Lebanese Shia cleric Sayyed Ali al-Amine says religious leaders in Arab countries must speak out and issue fatwas prohibiting involvement in the fighting in Syria. [Photo courtesy of Ali al-Amine]](/shared/images/2013/05/17/lebanon-ali-amine-90_58.jpg)
![Boys at a Pakistan-based training camp fire AK-47's in this undated video released by the al-Qaeda affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) terror group. [Video frame grab/Liveleak.com]](/shared/images/2013/05/17/cao-pak-children-90_58.jpg)
As Egypt prepares for demonstrations Tuesday (June 19th) against recent measures taken by the country's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), uncertainty remains over the winner of the presidential vote, AFP reported.
Official results in the presidential election are not expected before Thursday, but the campaigns of both Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi and former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq have claimed victory.
At a Tuesday press conference, Morsi's campaign released what it claimed were certified figures from the electoral commission, showing he took 52% of the electorate, and Egyptian state media reported that initial counts show Morsi ahead.
But Shafiq's campaign spokesperson Ahmed Sarhan said the final figures would prove very different, insisting that it was "an act of piracy to claim victory using totally false figures".
Meanwhile, protests have been organised for Tuesday in response to a declaration by SCAF ordering parliament dissolved based on a ruling by the country's highest court.
The Brotherhood, some of whose members insist parliament still has the power to legislate, is expected to participate in the afternoon protests in Cairo.
On Monday, the military sought to quiet fears over the declaration, saying it will transfer full power to the new president by the end of this month.
Issued late Sunday just as ballot counting for the presidential election run-off began, the SCAF declaration also grants the council veto power over the wording of a new permanent constitution.
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![A torn poster of Syrian President Bashar Assad hangs in the northern Syrian city of al-Raqa on March 5th following days of fierce fighting. [Mohammad al-Hussein/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/04/19/Syria-assad-raqaa-90_58.jpg)
![An Iraqi man pulls a cart up a hill through Baghdad traffic. [Karim Sahib/AFP]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/17/iraq-traffic-jam-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi students of all levels are preparing for their final exams. [Saif Ahmed/Mawtani]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/17/iraq-students-tests-90_58.jpg)
![Iraqi security forces learned about this weapons cache from members of an 'Islamic State of Iraq' cell. [Saif Ahmed/Mawtani]](http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/shared/images/2013/05/16/iraq-anbar-cache-90_58.jpg)
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ADD A COMMENT (COMMENT POLICY) * DENOTES REQUIRED FIELD
READER COMMENTS
ابو حسن
2012-6-19
It is really difficult to explore the political future of Egypt, given that they have not decided about the regime, whether parliamentary, presidential or mixed (presidential parliamentary), especially as ordinary Egyptians cannot know the differences between the three regimes until now. Also, they are not able to know the advantages and the disadvantages of these regimes at a time Egypt is at a crossroads between the scenario of hope, or that of the sustainability of the transitional period and the continuous control of the Army over power, or the scenario of the failed State. In fact, all of us are hopeful that our brotherly Egyptians will unite, understand the past lessons, benefit from their past suffering, succeed in the safe democratic shift of power and ensure mutual respect as a preparation to reconstruct Egypt once again.
علاء فوزي
2012-6-19
Amid a regional and international worry over the Muslim Brotherhood's goals, the latter have initiated a dialogue with Washington, aiming at easing the fears of secularists in Egypt and to confirm that they are not planning to amend the constitution in a way that threatens the rights of women and religious minorities. They have also promised to embrace a moderate religious view and that their priorities would basically be of economic and political nature. They also aim at protecting the revolution principles such as achieving social justice, improving the education and the restoring the security of.
خالد ايمن
2012-6-19
Egypt, which has long represented a strategic balance in the Middle East, is at a crossroads, not only at the political level but also at both the social and economic ones, especially with the failure of most of the political sects to reach an agreement on a consensus to establish the features of the new regime. In fact, some of these sects reached the extent of a show of force, media crossfire, exchange of accusations and attempts to override the law of the jurists. Consequently, tension has peaked after the political parties questioned the integrity of the presidential election and the Committee on the Constitution. This has prompted the Military Council to issue a firm statement in which Egyptians have stated that the Armed Forces and their Higher Council have been responsible for planning and carrying out the legislative elections with much transparency and integrity and everyone has witnessed great conflicts and divisions. The Council concluded its statement by stating that the Military Council will not hesitate to take any actions or decisions that serve the interests of the country. Indeed, Egypt is currently going through a suffocating regional and international crisis, a shortage of oil, political chaos and a broad movement of protest because of the disagreement over the coming constitution, the rates of participation in the Constitution Committee, the withdrawal of Al-Azhar, liberals, Christians, Copts and many of its prominent members. Protests also escalated when some citizens filed a lawsuit before the State Council against the decision of the Parliament to form the Constitution Constituent Assembly.