Egypt’s decades-old state of emergency came to an end yesterday as its last renewal expired, the ruling military said, vowing to continue to “protect” the nation.
The military will continue its “national and historic responsibility, taking into account that the state of emergency has ended, in accordance with the constitutional declaration and with the law,” it said.
It said it would continue in that role until it hands over power, as it has promised it would to an elected president by the end of June. A runoff between the two frontrunners from the first round of the election is to be held on June 16-17.
Egypt has been under a state of emergency continuously since president Anwar Sadat’s assassination in 1981, allowing authorities to detain people without charge and try them in emergency security courts.
Parliament renewed the emergency law for two years in May 2010 when now ousted president Hosni Mubarak was still in power, but limited its application to terrorism and drug crimes.
Freedom and Justice Party told AFP the military’s statement indicated it would not ask Parliament to extend the law. The party’s leader and presidential candidate Mohammed Mursi has said the law will not be renewed.
