The ruling party voted the new controversial election law amid the refusal of other parliamentary blocs to the vote, in a move that was described as a coup against all agreements between the General People’s Congress and the opposition topped by February 2009 deal.
At the sitting attended by almost all ruling party MPs, Parliament Speaker Yahya Al-Ra’e submitted two proposed amendments to law 13, with one addding an article stipulating that the voter rolls coinciding with the law issuance were the finally approved rolls for the April 2011 elections.
The second amendment called for correcting the date in the section 7 of article B concerning the elections time as April 27, 2011 instead of 2009.
Expressing their refusal to the vote, opposition MPs staged a protest at the presidency, putting on their chests placards showing their condemnation of the violation of February agreement.
They also called for holding free and fair elections, as they vowed to continue their protest inside parliament until the ruling party changes its decision. The protest stalled the sitting attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs who appeared to make explanations over the WikiLeaks.
Some lawmakers said the vote was unconstitutional and illegal and it reflects the insistence of the ruling party on putting its interest ahead of the nation’s interests.
The vote is illegal under February agreement that postponed the 2009 parliamnetary elections to 2011, they said, adding that any decision by the ruling party’s is no longer legal because parliament’s term constitutionally ended in 2009.