Egypt's Shafiq, SCC's ruling was 'likely expected'

After many protestors have gathered Thursday night in Tahrir square to protest the Supreme Constitutional Court’s ruling against the Political Isolation and Parliamentary Elections Laws, Egypt's presidential candidate and Mubarak's Ex-Prime Minister Ahmed shafiq said that the Court’s ruling on the Political Isolation Law was likely expected. Following his public speech on Thursday, Shafiq said in an interview with (CBC TV) that the ruling on the Political Isolation Law was likely expected, he added however he was not expecting a full parliament dissolution, State-run News agency MENA reported today. The constitutional court ruled that the Political Isolation Law that would disqualify Shafiq from the presidential election is unconstitutional and that the Parliamentary Elections Law was unconstitutional because of an article allowing political parties to field candidates for the one-third of parliamentary seats reserved for independents which means a dissolution of the Islamist-dominated Parliament. Meanwhile, groups against Shafiq demanded his elimination from the run-off round due to start on Saturday through Sunday. On the other hand, presidential candidate Mohamed Morsy said he was respecting the court's ruling. Morsy's campaign said in a statement last night that their candidate -Morsy- is strongly holding tight and carrying on his way to the run off round adding that he still has a great chance for winning. Another revolutionary group, however, called on Morsy in a statement today to quit the upcoming run off round and that the run-off's results will not become "a final say" to determine the future. In a survey carried by Al Ahram newspaper published on Thursday, pro-shafiq groups said they would prefer him against Morsy as he would be in favour of an inclusive and progressive civil state, and is against the politicisation of religion as well as it might be best to have a political environment where not a single group has absolute power, and thus it would be better to have Shafiq as president as a balancing act against a parliament dominated by Islamists. Whereas groups pro-Morsy said he would weaken the military's grip on Egypt and pave the way for a greater civilian role in political affairs compared to Shafiq. Others also said that Morsy, compared to Shafiq, would work on creating either a semi-presidential or a parliamentary system so as to prevent the recreation of an autocratic presidency and a new dictatorial head of state.