NDP MPs Call upon the
Police to Shoot Demonstrators!
Representatives in Egypt's People's Assembly have called upon the Police to shoot demonstrators with live bullets. These statements came during a Parliamentary session in Cairo. Nachaat El Kassas and Ahmed Akrab, members of the National Democratic Party (NDP), as well as Ragab Helal Hemida, supposedly an opposition MP, said that it is acceptable to kill scores of demonstrators to safeguard the country's vital interests! The People's Assembly is Egypt's lower chamber of the Parliament.
In a joint session between Human Rights' Committee and Defense and National Security's Committee of Egypt's parliament, members of the ruling party blamed minister of Interiors for not firing at activists who demonstrated on 6th April because they are employed by foreign powers to push Egypt, according to the NDP MPs, into creative chaos, Condoleezza Rice style! Nachaat El Kassas asked, "what is this 6 April Movement? And for how much longer are we going to tolerate these illegal organizations?" Nachaat El Kassas then addressed deputy minister of interiors present at the joint session, saying: "There are 80 million Egyptians. We can tolerate losing a few rotten ones!"
The joint session hearing was originally held to question the Deputy Minister of Interiors about reports of heavy-handed handling of demonstrators and human rights abuses as police crushed the peaceful demonstration, arresting over 90 protestors and beating up activists including Ayman Nour's own son, Nour, who was besieged amongst other members of El Ghad Party including Ayman Nour himself. At one point Nour Ayman was captured by the security but release shortly after. But instead of blaming the police for violence, NDP members decided that the police was too soft in dealing with the activists!
Nachaat El Kassas continued exclaiming: "why use water canons?", asking the deputy minister to "fire at these outlaws!" according to the MP's own words!
Ragab Helal Hemida, supposedly an opposition MP, claimed that most of the demonstrators are financed by foreign money. "They (demonstrators) deceive our people with false dreams ... they want creative chaos, Condoleza Rice' style. Ministry of Interiors is to blame for not acting in full limits of the law, firing bullets at the demonstrators. Do we want to burn down an entire country but not accept a few to fall?". Ragab Helal Hemida, was once a member of El Ghad Party before being allegedly lured by the regime's security apparatus to suspend the Party's newspaper and replace Editor in Chief, Egypt's top opposition journalist, Ibrahim Eisa, with writers more loyal to the regime. Ragab Hemida then allegedly conspired to splinter El Ghad Party by creating a faction loyal to the regime which was dismissed by majority of El Ghad Party members. Ragab Hemida then won a seat in the Parliament during 2005 elections where cases of rigging and irregularities were widely reported.
These statements were met with an uproar in the Egyptian media. Realizing the gravity of the situation, even NDP top officers, were quick to denounce these statements. Ayman Nour and others filed complaints with Egypt's General Attorney against the aforementioned parliament members for instigating murder of innocent Egyptian Citizens.
The Writer is a Co-founder of El Ghad Party
