The People’s Assembly ratified a new insurance and pensions law on Sunday, as Parliamentary Speaker Fathi Sorour rejected accusations made by MPs from the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) opposition movement that he had “rammed” the legislation through parliament.
Sorour, for his part, noted that MB deputies had interrupted discussion of the law more than 600 times.
When asked by brotherhood MP Hussein Ibrahim why the bill had been rushed though the assembly, Sorour explained that there had been no time in the session for further debate.
Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali, meanwhile, denied claims that the law represented an effort by the government to abandon its historical role as protector the public.
In related news, Social Solidarity Minister Ali el-Masalhi–following a meeting with President Hosni Mubarak and Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif–said he would work with the Council of Ministers on finalizing a new social security law before sending it to the People’s Assembly for ratification.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
